To Protect and Serve
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: Bodyguard Fiyero Tiggular is hired to protect the deputy mayor of the Emerald City, the unflappable and emerald-skinned Elphaba Thropp, from a stalker who is threatening her through letters. Modern AU Fiyeraba. 1st place Best AU and Best Fiyeraba and tied 2nd place Best Overall Fic in the 2016 Greg Awards.
1. Arrival

***beaming smile* It's good to see me, isn't it? I'm quite excited to start posting this story. I really liked writing it - I hope you'll like reading it as well! It's inspired by the musical _The Bodyguard_ , but as always, I've given it my own twist, so it's not just a re-telling of the musical or the movie.**

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 **1\. Arrival**

As the son of the most prominent businessman of the Vinkus – and as somewhat of a former celebrity himself – Fiyero Tiggular had, of course, been to the Emerald City before. After all, it was seen as a cultural, architectural, social, and political paradise by most Ozians and he had come there quite often, representing his father at social gatherings or important events. He'd attended meetings and galas, dinners and parties, and the openings of several new businesses and renovated historical buildings. He had driven around the City in a limousine, stayed at the most expensive hotels, eaten at the best restaurants, drunk champagne from glasses rimmed with gold, and brought beautiful girls back to various luxurious hotel rooms for some happy, happy nights.

Now, however, he found himself not nearly as awed as he used to be when he regarded the building before him over the top of his sunglasses. Maybe it was because he was not staying at a fancy place this time. He was no longer the golden boy he used to be, destined to take over his father's role as Governor of the Tiggular Bank once Jorge Tiggular would retire. He hadn't been that boy for a while now, but this was the first time he had been back in the Emerald City since then.

The building he was facing now was called the Palace by most people, even though it wasn't actually a palace. It was, nevertheless, an enormous building, pretentious yet impressive and, like everything else in the City, green. It was most widely known because the mayor of the Emerald City, Oscar Diggs, both lived and worked there. Despite Fiyero's status and his previous visits to the City, he had never actually been inside the Palace and he couldn't deny that he was quite curious about its interior – both in terms of decorations and in terms of people.

Security, he observed, was pretty tight; he first had to show his invitation to the guards at the gate and once he had parked his car inside the grounds and reached the door to the actual building, he was checked over by two other guards. They made him hand in the small gun he kept in the back pocket of his jeans, but they failed to notice the two knives he always kept, respectively, in his boot and tucked into his belt. This told him that no matter how secure everyone thought this place to be, it was clearly not secure enough.

Through the door, he entered a large hall, decorated with all kinds of art, with a giant staircase ahead. He went to the desk in the corner.

"Hello," he said in a bored tone of voice. "I'm here to see a Miss Galinda Upland?"

"Of course," the young woman behind the desk gushed, taking him in from head to toe. "Fiyero Tiggular, right?"

He winked at her. "That's me."

She giggled at him and typed something on her computer before picking up a phone. "Mr Tiggular here for Miss Upland," she said into the phone before putting it down and smiling charmingly at the sandy-haired man across from her. "She'll be arriving shortly to pick you up. You can wait here for her." She batted her eyelashes at him, but Fiyero just thanked her and turned around. He'd spent enough time with girls such as this one and he didn't feel like talking to her for much longer.

He tucked his sunglasses into his hair and took to studying some of the paintings as he waited. The walls on either side of the staircase were lined with glass doors, behind which Fiyero could see foyers, offices, and long hallways going Oz-knew-where.

He knew a bit about the lay-out of the building. It had six floors, including the ground floor, and on each floor worked a different team of people – everything administrative on the ground floor, communications and inter- and intra-governmental affairs on the first floor, legislation and finance on the second floor, and planning, development, and human resources on the third floor, if Fiyero remembered correctly. He walked over to a sign by the lifts with short descriptions of the departments found on each floor and smiled when he found that he had been correct. Unlike back when he still went to school, and later university, he did do his homework these days.

He knew the mayor and his family lived on the fifth floor – the top floor of the building – and that the guest rooms were also located there. The offices of Mr Diggs himself, as well as his deputy mayor and their more important employees, were located on the fourth floor. Fiyero wondered if that was where he would be going now.

He wandered around the hall for a bit, but it was at least another ten minutes' wait before someone behind him squealed, "Mr Tiggular!"

Fiyero turned to find himself face-to-face with a bouncy, blonde young woman. She was dressed smartly in a cream-coloured skirt and jacket, with matching high heels on her feet and a beaming, relieved smile on her face. He wondered how she could walk so quickly in those shoes as she came hurrying towards him and grabbed his hand, shaking it with a little more enthusiasm than was necessary.

"Oh, I am _so_ happy to see you!" she gushed. "You're supposed to be the best bodyguard in all of Oz, apparently due to your upbringing – is it true that young Vinkun men have to go through some sort of maturing ritual that involves surviving in the wild? A friend of mine said so. Anyway, never mind that," she prattled on before he could even reply, "it was so good of you to come!"

He huffed a laugh. "Yeah, well, you said the pay would be worth it."

She paused, not entirely sure if he was joking or not, but she shook it off and went back to beaming at him. "We're so happy to have you here. How do you find the Emerald City?" she asked, linking her arm with his and dragging him closer to the lifts beside the staircase again.

"Splendid," he replied. "I've been here before, of course."

The young woman giggled. "Of course." She sobered quickly, however, as she pressed the button to call for the lift. "It really is good to see you. Oscar – I mean, Mayor Diggs – and I have been growing rather desperate lately," she admitted. She looked at him as they stepped inside the lift. "You see, Mr Tiggular... I told you about the letters Elphie has been receiving, right? When I wrote to you?"

"By 'Elphie', I assume you mean the deputy mayor, Elphaba Thropp?" he asked, furrowing his brow. Frankly, he couldn't imagine anyone referring to the stoic, powerful woman that was the deputy mayor by so perky a name as 'Elphie', but he was sure the blonde couldn't mean anyone else.

She giggled again. "Yes. I'm sorry – it's habit," she apologized. "I've called her 'Elphie' ever since we first became friends. Which reminds me – I haven't even properly introduced myself, have I? How rude of me!" She flashed him a wide smile. "Galinda Upland," she informed him with a little curtsey, "of the Upper Uplands. Officially, I am in charge of HR; but I am also Elphie's PA, manager, babysitter, stylist, slave, and best friend – or that's what it often feels like, anyway." She smiled fondly. "Don't get me wrong – I love Elphie to pieces, but she definishly needs help with a lot of things."

Fiyero nodded, wishing she'd just get to the point already. The lift doors opened with a _ping_ and they stepped out onto the fourth floor. Fiyero followed the petite blonde down a hallway, noting that the few people milling about there hardly paid them any attention. "What were you saying about those letters you've been receiving?"

She took a breath. "Someone seems intent on... _being_ with her," she said. "Elphie, I mean. I think the writer of these letters is in love with her – in a creepy, obsessive kind of way. The letters don't exactly threaten her life, but some of them describe in some detail what this person wants to do to Elphie once they're alone; and the mayor and I are worried that he is going to do something terrible to her. Kidnap her, or rape her, or... I don't know. We just fear for her safety."

"And they're actual letters?" he asked. "Not emails or anything like that?"

Galinda shook her head. "Real letters, on paper, with no return address," she confirmed. "They're hand-written, but the handwriting is never the same in two sentences – either the letters are written by more than one person or the one person who does write them is very careful to make his handwriting impossible to track down. Sometimes they're just short notes, other times they're longer letters, but they all seem to be coming from the same person."

Galinda had told him some of this on the phone already. She'd sounded near tears when she'd called him, all but begging him for his help because she was so worried about her friend. Fiyero's main motivation to take the job, however, had been both the promised pay and the boost it would give his reputation. If he managed to protect the deputy mayor of the Emerald City from harm and thus gain the favour of both her and the mayor himself... well, it could never hurt, could it?

"She doesn't know," Galinda continued as they moved into a foyer at the end of the hallway and she motioned for him to sit down in one of the velvet arm chairs. He sprawled on it, quickly scanning the small space around him almost out of habit. Chairs, potted plants, desk with computer and magazines, coffee and tea machines. "We haven't told Elphaba, the mayor and I, and all her letters are checked by me, so she hasn't seen them. We don't want to worry her when it might not be worth worrying about – she has enough on her plate as it is. Still, we need to put an end to it."

"Huh." He hid a yawn, watching in interest as Galinda fired up the coffee machine on a table in the corner. "What are you going to tell her about me, then? Don't you think she'll get suspicious if she suddenly finds herself guarded day and night?" He got up and moved closer to Galinda, breathing in the scent of the coffee. It wasn't the fresh brew he usually began his day with, but machine coffee was still better than nothing.

"Probably," Galinda admitted, turning around to hand him a cup, "but she's used to threats every now and then. Not everyone agrees with her views and policies, after all. Besides, you won't need to be beside her all the time. Only when she goes out in public. As you have probably noticed, security here at the Palace is quite tight already."

In one swift move and with only one hand, Fiyero extracted his knife from his boot, yanked Galinda against him, and pressed the blade against her throat. She squeaked in surprise and fear and he casually sipped his coffee, which he was still holding with his other hand, before saying into her ear, "If I had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead right now. Somehow I think your security is not quite tight enough, Miss Upland."

He let go of her and she smoothed out her clothes with a sour look on her face. "Well," she said tersely. "You could have just _told_ me that. You didn't have to _show_ me."

He chortled.

Galinda strode away from him, clearly ticked off. "I suppose that, while you're here, you could look into a way to improve general security at the Palace as well."

He flashed her a dimpled grin that melted the displeasure right off her face. "That might not be a bad idea," he agreed, casually tucking the knife back into his boot.

Galinda frowned and held out her hand, tapping her foot impatiently. "I would prefer for you to hand that over to me before I let you see the deputy mayor, Mr Tiggular."

He rolled his eyes, but complied and handed her the knife. "What makes you think Deputy Mayor Thropp is in any danger at all?"

"The fact that the notes and letters are getting more threatening and more detailed, for one," said Galinda. "And there's more. They were just letters at first, but Elphaba also noticed that she was followed around a few times lately. She thinks it's just someone who is trying to scare her a little. Like I said, there are always people who disagree with her views and policies. Threats aren't exactly new to her. I feel like this is different, though – more serious. The mayor agrees with me. We'd feel much better if someone was there to protect Elphie and if we could somehow find out who is behind all this."

"And the pay?" Fiyero asked, mildly bored. Elphaba Thropp sounded like just another important person needing protection from a supposed threat that may or may not be real. Usually, it turned out not to be real at all. He'd had countless jobs like this one and they were never very interesting, but he knew he'd do it nonetheless – for the pay and the reputation if nothing else.

His question earned him another frown from Galinda, but she replied, "I'm sure we can work out an arrangement that suits both our interests, Mr Tiggular. I will go and get Elphie and Oscar so we can start making plans."

He waited. He removed his sunglasses from where he'd tucked them into his hair and put them away in his bag. He walked around the room and flipped through one of the magazines lying on the desk against the wall. The room was open on one side, allowing him to look down the hallway they had entered through – it wasn't so much a separate room as it was a large alcove at the end of the hallway. He could see employees walking up and down the hallway almost constantly, knocking on doors and poking their heads around the corners of offices to ask their colleagues something. The walls of the hallway, too, were lined with art, he noted. Everything here at the Palace seemed grand and ornate and for a brief moment, it made him miss the large mansion that had been his home until about three years ago.

He was just standing in front of the window, enjoying the view, when he suddenly heard running footsteps coming up behind him. He whirled around just in time to see a flash of something storming at him with a loud battle cry and Fiyero, out of habit, instantly ducked away, spun around, grabbed his attacker, and slammed him to the floor.

"Ow!" the person yelped. Big, brown eyes streaked with green blinked up at him and he swore under his breath when he realized that he was pinning down a child. It was only a boy, probably not even ten years old, and he looked dazed – he had probably just wanted to play. Fiyero hoped he hadn't given him a concussion or anything by throwing him to the floor like that.

He jumped when another dismayed cry came from behind him. A little girl angrily tried to push him aside. Fiyero scuttled away from the boy and the girl glared daggers at him before kneeling down next to Xalo. "Xalo, are you all right?"

Fiyero winced when he realized that the girl's skin was green. That could really only mean one thing. He swore quietly under his breath and quickly said, "I'm sorry, kid." He held out a hand to help the boy up. "You okay?"

The boy just blinked at him. The girl shot him another angry look and he could have sworn there were some green sparks dancing around her hands, but then he blinked and they were gone.

"What did you do?" a sharp voice demanded. He looked up and there, striding down the hallway, was the person he had been dreading to see – Deputy Mayor Elphaba Thropp.

She was a tall woman in her mid-twenties with long, black hair in a ponytail that swished as she walked. She was dressed in long, grey trousers and a white blouse. Her skin was as green as emeralds and her eyes were narrowed and blazing behind a pair of spectacles as she briskly marched towards him. Galinda was jogging to keep up with her, once again impressing Fiyero with her ability to run in high heels.

He cursed their timing. He'd thought before that the little green girl's glare had been impressive; but now, with Elphaba's eyes on him, he was pretty sure that this woman was the reason the expression "if looks could kill" existed in the first place. He wondered if her looks could _actually_ kill. She _was_ a sorceress, after all – everyone knew that.

"Nothing!" he protested, but she merely narrowed her eyes at him dangerously and swept past him. He hurried to get out of the way as she moved over to the children.

"Mum! He hurt Xalo!" the little girl said, confirming Fiyero's suspicions of her being Elphaba's daughter. She was looking at the boy in concern and Elphaba ran a hand over her miniature's dark brown hair consolingly.

"He'll be fine, sweetie." She crouched down beside Xalo. The girl leapt back to her feet and went to stand with Galinda in order to give Elphaba more room.

"Where does it hurt?" the dark-haired witch asked Xalo gently.

"I'm okay, I think," the boy said, furrowing his brow. "My back hurts a little. And my head."

Elphaba helped him sit up and placed one of her hands on his spine and the other on his head. She closed her eyes, her lips moving. A soft, white glow engulfed her hands for a moment; then it was gone. "Better?"

"Yes." Xalo grinned widely and leapt to his feet. He quickly hugged the green woman. "Thanks."

"Go off and play," she told him, mussing his hair. She looked at the girl and smiled. "You, too, honey. I have to talk to this man for a little bit, okay?"

"Okay," the two chirped and ran off.

Elphaba straightened and looked at Fiyero, her dark brown eyes piercing. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. Galinda cleared her throat, but she was ignored.

"So," Elphaba said, slowly looking him up and down. "Would you care to explain to me why you were attacking a little boy?"

"I wasn't attacking him!" Fiyero defended himself. "He was attacking _me_!" At Elphaba's raised eyebrow, he amended, "He was playing, of course, but I didn't know that. I'm a trained bodyguard," he stressed. "When someone comes running at me, I take that person down."

She crossed her arms. Galinda heaved a sigh.

He cocked his head a little to the side. "I didn't know you had a kid. Come to think of it, I've never heard of you being married or in a relationship, either. Where's the girl's father?"

"What makes you think that is any of your business?" she asked him flatly. "You come barging in here, slam an eight-year-old to the ground, and then start asking me personal questions without so much as introducing yourself to me. Forgive me, but you're not making a great first impression." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

He held up both hands. "Look, I'm here to help you and –"

"I don't need your help," she interrupted him. "I know Galinda thinks some extra security couldn't hurt, but I am perfectly capable of handling myself, thank you very much."

Before she'd finished speaking, Fiyero had grabbed her arm, spun her against his chest, and was pressing the blade of his second knife to her throat. He grinned triumphantly. "You were saying?"

Galinda looked horrified. "I took your knife away from you!" she exclaimed in shock, gaping at him. "Where did you...?" She trailed off and he shrugged.

"I'm always well-prepared." He cast a sideways glance at the young witch in his arms. "And you, Miss Elphaba, don't appear to be as capable of handling yourself as you're trying to make me believe you are."

He became aware of her body growing hot against him only a heartbeat before he suddenly found his hand smacked by some searing, invisible force, sending the knife flying across the room. He cried out in pain and clutched his hand; but before he could recover, Elphaba had already whirled around and he was flung backwards, stumbling against the wall and then crumpling to the floor, still cradling his aching hand. He raised his head to look up at her incredulously.

Yes, he had heard about her magical talents, but he had not seen _this_ coming.

There was a smirk on her face as she turned around. "Yes," she deadpanned over her shoulder. "I think I am simply _desperate_ for your protection, Mr Tiggular."

She swept down the hallway, humming a song under her breath. Galinda buried her face in her hands. Fiyero let his head thump back onto the floor with a grunt.

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 **The next update will be on Sunday, but in the meantime, I'd love for you to tell me what you think! That dark hole is still there for me to crawl into, if you want me to...**


	2. Annoyance

**A Sunday update, as promised. Thank you all for the reviews, they really made my weekend! :) As for your questions about the kids, their parents, and everyone's ages: you'll find out about all that not much later in the story, don't worry.**

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 **2\. Annoyance**

Elphaba pointedly ignored every mention of the Vinkun idiot supposedly here to protect her for the rest of the day. She had retreated to her office to get some work done – there was always more work, after all – and she hadn't intended to talk about the man again. Preferably ever. Her family, however, seemed intent on bringing him up at every possible opportunity.

"Elphaba," Oscar tried as he came through the open door to her office to bring her lunch, "I really think you should consider giving Mr Tiggular a chance. You said yourself that you were followed by someone a couple of times in the past few weeks and I know you can take care of yourself, but Galinda and I are still worried. We just don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine," the green girl said dismissively, reaching for her cup of coffee without even looking up from the reports she was reading on her laptop. "There will always be people who try to intimidate me, Dad. If you want to protect me from all that, I'd have to be guarded twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week and I'm not doing that." When he didn't reply, she looked up at him and blinked. "Why are you grinning at me like that?" she asked suspiciously.

His grin only widened. "You called me 'Dad'."

She rolled her eyes, but she was grinning, too. "I've been calling you 'Dad' for years now, Dad."

"I know. I just… never get used to it, I guess." His smile faltered a little. "I only wish I could have been there when you grew up…"

"All right – stop," she interjected sternly. "We've been over this. You didn't know you even had a child until you discovered Morrible's betrayal and even then, you still had to track me down."

Madame Morrible had been working for Oscar before Elphaba had come along; she'd been his PA and she'd helped him gain the political power he had now, but she had also manipulated him and gone behind his back, which he hadn't known until later on. He had eventually discovered her lies and deceit, she'd attacked him, and she had been arrested for assault and imprisoned soon after that. She was free again by now, but she had left the Emerald City a long time ago.

As Morrible's office had been cleared out right after her arrest, however, a couple of letters had been discovered among her things – letters addressed to Oscar from one Melena Thropp, telling him she was pregnant with Oscar's child and, later on, informing him that the child was a girl named Elphaba and that she had been born with green skin. Melena had pleaded with him to contact her, but he had never, given the fact that Morrible had hidden the letters from him and he'd never seen them. He was determined to make up for that fact, though, and he had instantly started the search for his daughter, using all available means: he hired a private detective and searched everywhere for mentions of a girl with green skin.

From some other clues found in Madame Morrible's room, it became clear why she had kept the letters for so long, rather than destroying them: she had been looking for Oscar's daughter herself, presumably because of the power this child of two worlds – Oz and the world Oscar had come from – would have. She had never found Elphaba, however, and the raven-haired witch still shuddered to think of what could have happened if she had. She'd come quite close to finding her, too: Elphaba had gone to Shiz University only a couple of years after Morrible had been imprisoned and thus removed as Headshiztress. Oz only knew what the older woman would have done if Elphaba had come to study with her.

As it was, Oscar had tracked Elphaba, six months pregnant back then, down and invited her to come to the Palace. That was how their relationship had begun. Elphaba had been shocked, of course, to find out that the mayor of the Emerald City – arguably the most famous and politically powerful man in Oz – was her real father; but she'd also been happy to finally have a parent who cared, especially since she'd been pregnant at the time and kicked out of her Munchkinland home by her own father (or the man she'd thought to be her father, anyway) because of it. Oscar had invited her to live with him in the City and she'd accepted his invitation gratefully. She'd been living there for over nine years now, working herself up to her current position through her intelligence and her determination so study seriously. She wanted to really earn her job, not have Oscar hand it to her on a silver platter just because she happened to be his daughter.

Her biggest dream had been to go to Shiz University and Oscar had made that possible for her after a year or so, arranging an apartment for her to live in and a babysitter to stay at home when she was in class. That was also where she had met Galinda. Somehow, she'd managed to get her degree in Politics, with a minor in Sorcery, and she'd returned to the Emerald City to live with Oscar in the Palace. She'd worked hard to be the best she could be – the best mother, the best daughter, the best friend, and the best politician – and her efforts had been rewarded only a year or so ago with the position of deputy mayor, only one level below Oscar himself. She loved doing what she did and she loved the fact that she had her family close – including Galinda.

The only thing she missed was Nessarose; she had hardly seen her sister since she'd left Munchkinland, which hurt, especially since they had been so close before, but Frexspar was determined to keep them apart as much as possible. They could only call and email, and sometimes Nessa was able to video-chat. During the three years Nessarose had been at Shiz University, sometime after Elphaba herself had graduated, they'd seen one another a little more often; but the attendant who had accompanied Nessa to care for her had been instructed by Frex to keep Elphaba away as much as possible as well, so even then it had been hard.

She was drawn from her memories by Oscar's sigh. "I know. You're right. But I can't help but wish sometimes that I'd known about you sooner," he said wistfully.

Elphaba simply shrugged and reached for a sandwich. "Don't wish, don't start," she told him, taking a bite. "Wishing only wounds the heart. I'm here now, aren't I?" She'd learned a long time ago that it was no use dwelling on the past.

"Still. You're my only daughter," he said, looking a little pained, "and it took me ages to find you, Elphaba. Is it so wrong of me that I want to protect you? I don't trust this. You'd only have to put up with Mr Tiggular when you go out – not all the time. And I'll make sure he won't invade your privacy."

She shot him a sceptical look and he amended, "Any more than necessary in order to protect you. Please, Elphaba. You know how much I hate the thought of you being in danger. I've already missed so much of your life – don't make me lose you now."

She heaved a deep sigh, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes. She really should start wearing her contacts more often – these glasses pinched her nose. "Fine," she said tiredly. "If you're so intent on having that buffoon follow me around, I'll humour you." She could never deny him anything when he played the 'you're-my-daughter-and-I-care-about-you'-card. She'd never had a parent who cared about keeping her safe before and it had quickly become her weak spot with Oscar, which she hated – especially since he knew and made use of it whenever he could. "But if he annoys me, I'm getting rid of him."

Oscar smiled, victorious. "Fair enough. Thank you, Elphaba."

"You're welcome," she glowered at him, " _Dad_. Will you let me work in peace now?"

He nodded, rising to his feet and leaving the room, still smiling. "I'll leave you to it."

"Leave the door open!" she called.

He gave her a look. "I know, Elphaba." He left.

However, that did not mean that she got any peace at all; because he'd only been gone for half an hour or so when Galinda burst into the office. "Elphie! You agreed!"

Elphaba sighed once more. "You and Dad aren't going to let me get any work done, are you?"

Galinda ignored her and flung herself into the armchair Oscar had occupied a short while ago. "I'm glad, Elphie, really. It makes us feel so much better and I'm sure you and Fiyero will get along. He's a real gentleman."

The green woman raised her eyebrows. "So he's Fiyero now, huh? What happened to 'Mr Tiggular'?"

Galinda giggled. "Well, since he's officially working here now, I thought it'd be nice to at least be on a first-name base," she explained, fluttering her eyelashes, and her friend rolled her eyes.

"You probably just fell for some cheesy line he gave you, didn't you?" she asked knowingly. "I know you, Glin, and I know Fiyero Tiggular's reputation. His own father disownedhim and kicked him out of the house because of his behaviour. He flunked out of pretty much every university the whole of Oz has to offer and he has slept with every female between sixteen and sixty years old."

"Oh, Elphie." The blonde tossed her hair over her shoulder. "That's not true. You don't know what you're talking about. He's really quite charming, once you get to know him a little."

Elphaba grunted. "I'm sure."

"And besides," Galinda continued, "I have Cohvu. I would never cheat on him – we're going to be married!"

Elphaba refrained from pointing out that Galinda hadn't actually broached the subject of marriage with Cohvu yet, even though she, too, was sure a wedding would be planned relatively soon. The two of them had been together since their last year at university and it was clear that they loved one another a lot, even though Galinda couldn't seem to stop flirting with other men. She was devoted to her boyfriend, though, and so he didn't mind it so much.

Elphaba tried to return to her work, but Galinda kept pestering her and it took her a long time to finally work the blonde out of her office. She managed to work without interruption for a couple of hours, but then the kids came running in, asking excitedly if they could go and get some ice cream with Auntie Galinda.

"No," she told them sternly. "It's nearly dinnertime. You know the rules."

"No sweets before dinner," they both repeated the lecture they'd heard a thousand times before, looking disappointed.

Elphaba grinned at them. "Exactly. But if you're lucky, maybe Auntie Galinda and Uncle Cohvu will take you into the City later tonight to get some ice cream for dessert," she suggested and the children instantly perked up again.

She settled down again after they had left and, for the umpteenth time, clicked open an email she had received a couple of months before, but hadn't known what to do with.

 _Elphaba,_

 _I know what you must be thinking, but please at least read the rest of this email. I recognise that I don't have any claim on you, and maybe I have no right to even talk to you after what happened so many years ago, but... well, I recently found out that you have two eight-year-old children and I can do the math._

 _I want you to know right away that I'm not asking for anything here. I can understand if you want to keep them away from me entirely. I'd just like to see them, if only once. I've been a lousy father and an asshole for what I did to you, but I'm not like that anymore. I was young and stupid. I want to take my responsibility now – see them, maybe contribute something to help you care for them, or something._

 _Please give it some thought. You have my email address now and I'll leave you my phone number as well; I hope to get an email or a call from you soon._

There were two other emails just like that first one, begging her to reply and making her all kinds of promises and excuses for his past behaviour, but she still didn't know what she could even say in response. What do you say to the man who changed your entire life? Of course, in the end, the change had been good – amazing, even; but if she'd had a choice, things would have been so very different. He was right – he _had_ been an asshole and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to forgive him for that, let alone let him back into her life in any way.

Just then, yet someone else came into her office and she slammed her hands onto the desk, making her new visitor jump.

"Why in Oz does no-one want me to get any work done today?" she demanded of the person standing in her office now, who just happened to be the one person she really, really didn't want to see.

Fiyero looked startled. "Whoa," he said, holding up his hands. "What did I do? If you didn't want to be disturbed, you should have closed the door."

Elphaba bit back a sharp retort and quickly closed the emails still opened on her laptop before glaring up at Fiyero again. "Why are you here?" she demanded.

"Galinda sent me here to talk to you about my schedule, and... stuff."

Elphaba scowled. "Galinda sent you? Well, then I'm sending you back to her," she said snippily. "Galinda knows very well that _she_ is supposed to be handling you, not me." She suspected her friend had done this on purpose, hoping to get Elphaba and Fiyero to get to know one another better.

"Really? 'Handling me'?" He scoffed. "That's not very nice."

"I'm not a very nice person. Especially not when my patience is being tried and you, Mr Tiggular, are trying my patience."

He gave her a grin that most girls would probably find charming, but that only annoyed Elphaba. "Fiyero," he said pleasantly. "Please. If we're going to be stuck with one another, you may as well call me by my first name."

"I don't have time for this," she bit at him. "Leave me to my work. I'm sure Galinda will talk to you soon. Good-bye, Mr Tiggular." With that, she pointedly turned to her computer screen again.

Fiyero, however, merely plopped down on the leather couch, stretching out on it. "Mmh. This is comfortable. Can I take a nap here? I promise I can still protect you when I'm asleep."

She ignored him.

"So the little girl is your daughter," he mused. "That was hard to miss even before she called you "Mum", of course. Not just because of her skin colour," he hastened to say, even though Elphaba wasn't reacting at all. "Mainly just because she looks too much like you in general to not be related to you. Not even necessarily in terms of _looks_ , but the way she glared at me after I – _accidentally_ – hurt the little boy was just exactly the glare you gave me not a minute later. It was almost scary."

"What can I say?" said Elphaba without looking up from her screen. "I taught both of them well and they have good judgement of their own."

"What about the boy – Xalo?" he continued. "Is he a friend of hers? A brother? Cousin, maybe? He's not Galinda's kid, is he? Galinda seems to be a little young to have kids that age already." He cocked his head to the side. "Come to think of it, you're a little young to have kids their age, too, aren't you? You can't be much older than twenty-eight, or something like that. How old were you when you got pregnant?"

"I have a feeling that I am going to be saying this a lot in the near future," said Elphaba through clenched teeth, "but that, Mr Tiggular, is absolutely none of your business."

"I'm going to bet that he's her brother," Fiyero decided. "They look alike. Are they twins? How old are they?"

Elphaba didn't reply, but she was seething. She couldn't recall a single word coming out of this man's mouth that hadn't irritated her. She'd promised Oscar she'd give it a try, but she was already regretting that decision.

"Fine. I'll just ask them," he decided and she spun around, eyes blazing.

"Listen to me, you over-sized baboon," she hissed. "You will stay away from my children and you will be quiet whenever you're around me or I swear to Oz I will hex your nuts all the way to Quadling Country. Are we clear?"

He blinked at her, unfortunately not as taken aback as she'd hoped he would be, which only irritated her more. "Crystal." He rose to his feet and moved over to the door, blowing her a kiss. "If you need me, I'll be settling into my new rooms. Fifth floor, just down the hall, second-to-last door on the right." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Just so you know."

She grabbed her stapler and made to throw it at him, but he quickly ducked out of her office and she put the stapler down again. She grumbled something colourful under her breath and then turned back around to focus on her work once more.

* * *

 **On a side note, some news - we've got a new little fluffball. :) He's dark grey and white with blue eyes, his name's Sammie (sort of, anyway; we've considered so many names, we're all confused now, haha), and he's absolutely adorable. We'll never forget sweet Brownie, but it's nice to have a cuddle-bunny again!**

 **Reviews are Sammie-love! :P**


	3. Adjusting

**Sammie appreciates all the love. ^_^**

 **LifelongLeahstar: I kind of liked that insult myself, haha.**

* * *

 **3\. Adjusting**

She had hoped he would be gone by dinnertime, or at the very least that he wouldn't have dinner with her family, but she should have known better. He lived in the same building now, after all, however temporarily; and he seemed somehow intent on annoying her as much as possible, so of course he was at dinner. He talked happily to Galinda, who was tossing her hair, fluttering her eyelashes, and giggling endlessly. Elphaba thought this to be rather tasteless given the fact that the blonde was in a long-term relationship with Cohvu Daling, one of their friends from Shiz University who was currently sitting right next to his girlfriend, having been invited over for dinner as well. When Elphaba pointed this fact out to her friend, however, Galinda only shrugged.

"A little flirting never hurt anyone, Elphie," she told Elphaba before smiling at Cohvu. "Right, dearest?"

He simply sighed at her, but smiled when she gave him her best wide-eyed pout. Sometimes Elphaba thought he was way too easy on her best friend. Galinda needed someone who put his foot down every now and then, but Cohvu merely adored her and hardly ever refused her anything.

The dark-haired witch stabbed a carrot on her plate with her fork, fuming quietly over the fact that no-one seemed to be on her side.

"Auntie Galinda?" Xalo asked. "Will you and Uncle Cohvu take us for ice cream after dinner?"

"Of course!" the blonde said brightly. She glanced at Fiyero and then back at Elphaba. "Are you planning on going out tonight, Elphie?"

The young witch blinked. "No," she said slowly. "I was planning on doing some more work and reading for a bit. Why?"

"Great!" Galinda beamed at Fiyero. "You can come along with us, Fiyero!" she suggested. "That way, you'll get to know the children a little better. After that rough start you had with them this morning, I think it would be nice for you to spend some time with them, don't you?"

Elphaba shoved her plate away. "No."

Her father gave her a slightly bewildered look and Galinda sighed. "Elphie –"

"No. It's bad enough that he's here in the first place and that he's going to tag along whenever I leave the building," she said firmly. "I don't want him anywhere near my children."

"Aha!" Fiyero said triumphantly, pointing his fork at Elphaba. "You called them your children. That means I was right – Xalo is your son, too!"

"Of course he is," the little green girl, whose name he still did not know, said with a small scowl. "We're twins."

"I see." Fiyero smiled at her. "And what is your name, little lady?"

The girl mirrored her mother's glare again and crossed her arms. "What's yours?"

"I didn't introduce myself?" He gasped and dramatically clutched his chest with one hand, putting on a show. "I am so sorry – where are my manners? I am Fiyero Tiggular," he informed the kids. "I'm the son of Jorge Tiggular – you have probably heard of him, haven't you? He's a very important businessman. He owns the Tiggular Bank, so that means I'm very important, too."

If he had been hoping for them to be impressed, however, he was disappointed, because Elphaba cut in before the kids could say anything.

"Does it, though?" she asked innocently, swiping a loose lock of hair out of her face. "Didn't your father disown you and made your brother his successor in the company because your behaviour was so _scandalacious_?"

Fiyero flushed. Galinda hissed, "Elphie!" under her breath, which the green woman ignored.

The children looked intrigued. "What's scandalacious?" the girl asked.

"Nothing you need to know about, princess," Oscar assured his granddaughter, giving Elphaba a look.

Fiyero shrugged, even though his face was still a little flushed. "Yes, well, I think my father was right," he told the kids. "Being an important businessman can be very boring and you have a lot of responsibilities. I'd much rather do something else."

"Is that true?" the little girl asked Oscar. "Do you think being a mayor is boring, too?"

"Sometimes," Oscar admitted. He smiled at his granddaughter. "But every job can be boring sometimes, you know. I'm sure your mother doesn't always enjoy her job, either. Not everything can be fun, but as long as you like most of what you do, it's okay."

"And do you like being a bodyguard?" the girl asked Fiyero now and he nodded, flashing her one of those lopsided grins that made Galinda giggle and Elphaba want to bash his head in.

"I do," he said.

"Do you have to fight a lot?" Xalo asked excitedly and Fiyero laughed.

"Sometimes."

"That's enough with the questioning, kids," Elphaba said flatly. "I'm sure Mr Tiggular is tired and would like to retreat to his rooms now to get some rest."

"Oh, no," Fiyero assured her cheerfully. "I'm not tired at all."

She glowered at him.

Oscar cleared his throat. "Has everyone finished eating?"

The twins instantly nodded and Xalo asked hopefully, "Can we go get ice cream now?" He looked at his mother and then at Galinda.

Elphaba chuckled. "You can go," she agreed and both of them leapt to their feet and started dragging Galinda and Cohvu along.

The blonde looked questioningly at Fiyero; but before he could open his mouth, Oscar swiftly interjected, "Fiyero, Galinda has told me that you might have some suggestions to improve security of this building, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Fiyero answered and Oscar smiled.

"Good. Would you mind coming with me to my office to discuss some of your ideas?" he asked. Fiyero nodded and Elphaba gave her father a grateful smile. When the bodyguard turned his attention back to the departing twins, Galinda, and Cohvu, Oscar winked at the dark-haired witch, who grinned back at him. She was glad at least her father was on her side. She didn't like Fiyero one bit and she could only hope whatever this threat was would vanish soon so that there would no longer be an excuse to keep him around.

* * *

The next morning, Fiyero was awakened by a knock on his door and a high voice chirping, "Mr Tiggular? Are you awake?"

He groaned, pulling his blankets over his head. It was way too early for him to be up in the first place. Why were those kids already awake? And why had they come to him when Elphaba was so adamant on keeping them away from him?

"Grandpa sent us to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice hoarse and raspy with sleep. He blindly reached for his phone, which he had left on the nightstand.

From outside the door came the sound of giggles. They had probably deduced from the sound of his voice that he had still been asleep and were laughing at him because of it. "Eight o'clock."

"Ugh." He grunted and peered at the screen of his phone, which confirmed their words. He pushed himself into a sitting position. "Just start without me," he called sleepily at the door. "I'll be down in a minute."

"All right!" More giggles as the two moved away from his door. Fiyero heaved a deep sigh and forced himself out of bed. He showered, got dressed, and combed his hair, taking his time to make himself look presentable. When he was finally ready and left his room, he got lost in the big building and it was almost an hour after the twins had first come for him that he arrived at the dining room, only to find that everyone had left already except for the twins themselves.

They giggled once again when they saw him and the girl asked innocently, "Did you sleep well, Mr Tiggular?"

"Fine, thank you." Fortunately, the food had not been cleared away yet, although he was sure it had gone cold by now. Not that he minded much. Food was food, after all. He loaded his plate with pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, cheese, ham, marmalade, and fruit, and poured himself a large mug of coffee – which was thankfully still hot – before sitting down at the table to eat his breakfast. "Where is everyone?"

More giggles. "Working, of course," Xalo said, watching in interest as Fiyero shoved forkfuls of food into his mouth. "Grandpa is in his office and Mum had a coffee meeting with a Glikkun ambas... ambassador? Is that the right word?"

His sister nodded and finished for him, "At _The Six Sisters_ , that café just off the square in front of the Palace. Auntie Galinda is at work in her office, too."

"We'll have to leave in a while as well," Xalo took over again. "We have lessons today."

"Aha." Fiyero chewed on a piece of fruit, regarding the twins in interest. Now was a chance for him to get to know them better without Elphaba getting involved somehow. "Do you go to school?"

They shook their heads. "We have a private tutor," the little green girl said. "Uncle Cohvu."

"Galinda's boyfriend?"

They nodded. "They've been together for a long time," Xalo said. "Mum thinks they're going to be married soon."

Fiyero smiled. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

More nodding. The girl still looked slightly wary of him; the boy seemed to like him well enough.

"Listen, buddy," Fiyero addressed the latter. "I really am sorry about yesterday."

Xalo shrugged. "I thought it was kind of cool," he said. "Mum doesn't want us to spend time with you, though. Because she thinks you're annoying and because she's still mad that you hurt me yesterday."

Fiyero nodded. "I can understand that," he said as kindly as possible. "I would like to get to know you two, though. Especially since I am working for your mother now."

The girl was once again taking him in with narrowed eyes, clearly suspicious, and he suppressed a sigh. "Could you at least tell me your name?" he asked her. "That can't hurt, can it?"

She seemed to consider that for a moment before apparently deciding that it indeed couldn't hurt to tell him her name. "Fawn."

"Fawn and Xalo." He smiled at them. "Those are very beautiful names. Did your mother pick them?"

They both nodded.

Fiyero decided to prod a little more. "What about your father?"

Xalo instantly frowned and Fawn said curtly, "We don't have a father."

Okay. Touchy subject. Fiyero made a mental note to look into that later – maybe Galinda would be willing to tell him a few things. After all, the twins had to have come from somewhere… right? He suddenly wondered if Elphaba's being a sorceress entailed being able to conceive children without a man getting involved. Would there be a spell for that, maybe?

Xalo asked, "Do you have a middle name, Mr Tiggular?"

"You can just call me Fiyero," the sandy-haired man assured him. "And yes, I do. I was named after my father, Jorge Tiggular."

"Fiyero Jorge Tiggular?" When Fiyero nodded, Xalo said, "That sounds cool. I was named after Grandpa, so I'm Xalo Oscar Thropp. And Fawn was named after Grandma Melena."

Fiyero's interest was piqued by that new piece of information, but he decided to store it away for later and focus on the twins themselves now. "How old are you two?"

"Eight," said Fawn and her brother added, "But we'll be nine in a few weeks."

"You're already getting big, then!" Fiyero praised them, knowing how much children liked to be considered mature at a young age. "What about your mum? How old is she?"

Fawn and Xalo looked at one another, clearly uncertain. "Um... twenty-something," Xalo guessed. "I don't know exactly."

"Me, neither," said Fawn, "but I do know that she's not thirty yet for a few years, because Auntie Galinda told her the other day that she really needed to find a husband before she turned thirty or she'd be alone for the rest of her life and she said 'luckily you still have a few years'."

Fiyero tried to hide his shock. Assuming that what the children said was true, Elphaba must have still been a teenager when she had fallen pregnant. He hadn't known that. Frankly, he didn't know much about Elphaba Thropp at all – not even why her last name was Thropp when the mayor's was Diggs, even though he was her father. It probably had something to do with the fact that she'd only appeared in the public eye a couple of years ago and no-one in Oz had even known of her existence before that. Fiyero had always assumed that the mayor had simply wanted to keep her sheltered from the press and the people, but he now wondered if there was maybe something else to it... such as a scandal involving an illegitimate pregnancy at an early age. The twins had never been out in the public eye, either, after all.

The little girl frowned at him. "Mr... I mean, Fiyero?"

He smiled encouragingly at her. "Yes?"

"Aren't you here to protect my mum?"

"Whenever she leaves the building, yes," he confirmed. "I have been trained as a bodyguard and many people say I am the best in all of Oz, which is why your grandfather wanted to hire me. Why are you asking?"

Fawn tilted her head a little to the side. "Well... you're here, eating breakfast."

Fiyero laughed. "Yes."

"And Mum is at that meeting with that Glikkun ambassador," Xalo chimed in, clearly recognizing his sister's train of thought. "Outside the building."

Fiyero looked at them both blankly for a moment before the meaning of their words sank in and he cursed vehemently, pushing himself away from the table and scrambling to his feet. The twins were giggling again when he ran out of the room.

* * *

Elphaba ran into the Vinkun just as she was on her way back from _The Six Sisters_ and she glanced up from her phone and raised her eyebrows when she noticed how panicked he looked. He was panting, too. "Hello, there. Where's the fire?"

He took a moment to catch his breath. "I, um..." He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. "I heard you went out this morning."

"Yes," she said. "I was just on my way back."

"Why didn't you wait for me?"

She sighed, tapping impatiently at the screen of her phone even as she addressed him. "Mr Tiggular, just because you chose to sleep in and then took your time going through your morning beauty routine, doesn't mean I have the time or the patience to sit around and wait until you are ready. You're here to protect me, so _protect me_. It wouldn't hurt you to take a more active approach to this, you know. You could ask Galinda for my schedule, for example, and make sure you are ready before I head out of the Palace. I never asked for you to be here and I certainly won't accommodate my schedule to you."

He bristled. She brushed past him and he caught up with her in a few long strides. "Now wait a clock-tick. If you don't want me here, then why am I here to begin with?"

She shrugged, her attention still on her phone. "Because my father and Galinda insisted, I suppose."

"Look," he said, walking backwards. "I messed up this morning. I can admit that. But I'm going to need you to try to at least be a little friendlier towards me and help me out a little, otherwise you're making it very hard for me to keep you safe."

She looked disgruntled, but she gave in. "Fine."

"Thank you. So, Elphaba..."

"That's _Miss Elphaba_ to you," she interjected and he gave her a look.

"Elphaba," he said again, smirking a little at the annoyance flickering in her eyes. "You're stuck with me now, you know, and trying to be civil with one another includes calling each other by our first names, all right? Elphaba. When are you planning on going out again?"

She took him in and then relented. "I am mostly going to work in my office today, but I have another meeting in the City at three this afternoon," she told him.

"Perfect." He bowed, still walking backwards. "Then I will be ready to accompany you."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Watch out for that..." She winced when he slammed his back straight into a lamppost. "...lamppost."

He grunted. Grimacing, he gingerly straightened his back and Elphaba tried to suppress her chortles as she walked back to the Palace.


	4. Alarm

**It's never too soon to call Fiyero an idiot. Yes, he and Elphaba will both come around eventually... but not yet! *smirks***

 **Again, thanks for your reviews! They make me happy. :)**

* * *

 **4\. Alarm**

"And then the Big, Bad Bully came home," Oscar said, lowering his voice theatrically. Fawn and Xalo scooted closer, listening to his story with wide eyes. "He threw open the door and thundered..."

"WHO IS HERE IN MY HOUSE?!"

Both kids screamed and Elphaba grinned at them as she came further into the room. "I got you there, didn't I?" She ruffled Xalo's hair and sat down on the couch, pulling Fawn into her lap. "Did I scare you?"

"Yes!" Xalo said, scowling. Fawn huffed.

Elphaba pouted at them. "I'm so sorry, my darlings. Can you please forgive me?"

They both shook their heads.

"Careful, kids," said Oscar, smiling. "If you don't forgive her, your mother might cry."

Elphaba pretended to sniffle, bowing her head; and instantly, two pairs of arms went around her and the twins chorused, "We forgive you, Mum."

Elphaba laughed and hugged them both tightly. "I know you do, my little monkeys. Now shh – we should let Grandpa finish his story."

Oscar chuckled and continued the story. Fawn and Xalo listened breathlessly and Elphaba smiled as she watched them, utterly enthralled by their grandfather's voice. Back when she had first fallen pregnant with them, her situation had been dire and she'd been absolutely miserable. She'd even considered not having the baby at all, but eventually, she couldn't do it – especially not once she found out she was carrying twins. She'd been scared, convinced that she would be a terrible mother and worried that she wouldn't be able to give her children what they needed; but from the moment they had been placed in her arms, she'd known she'd made the right decision. She loved her son and daughter more than she could ever have imagined loving anyone.

They were alike in many ways, but they were also different – just like they sometimes reminded Elphaba of herself and sometimes... well, not. Fawn was a few minutes older than her brother and although she could truly act like the older sibling, there were also many times when Xalo seemed to be protecting her instead. He was taller than she was and had a sturdier posture, while Fawn was relatively small and skinny. Of course, he had inherited his father's normal skin colour – thank Oz for that – while Fawn's skin was as green as her mother's. So far, however, she hadn't suffered because of it, which Elphaba was relieved about.

They were both dark-haired and stubborn, sometimes serious and sometimes very playful; but Fawn was warier and more introverted than her brother, who made friends with everyone quite easily. Their facial features were quite alike – less sharp than Elphaba's own, but still resembling her. The only exception to that was their eye colour, since Xalo's eyes were mostly brown with some hints of green whilst Fawn's were a definite green, only a few shades darker than her skin. They were both perfect to Elphaba and she would do anything for them. She knew Oscar felt much the same and Galinda and Cohvu, who were their godparents, also loved them very much. At least they had the happy family she herself had never had when she was growing up, however unconventional that happy family may be.

Oscar finished his story and the kids both heaved a deep sigh, impressed with the story like they always were. Both of them loved to read, but they loved their grandfather's stories even more. He always thought up the most extraordinary tales.

"What's for dinner tonight, Mum?" asked Xalo and Elphaba chuckled.

"You'll have to ask Grandpa," she said. She combed her fingers through Fawn's hair, separating the strands and beginning to braid them. "I won't be having dinner with you tonight. I'm going out to eat with Mayor Lentering of Munchkin City – you remember her, don't you?"

The twins nodded. "Is Fiyero going with you this time?" Xalo asked curiously, which made his mother grin.

"If he shows up in time, then yes," she answered in amusement. Fiyero had been with them for a couple of days now and although he still irritated her, they had settled into some sort of routine. Galinda had given him Elphaba's schedule and he was usually waiting by the door when she went to leave the building, accompanying her to her appointments in the City. He usually drove, too – unless she wanted to walk, which she almost always did if she could. She was confined to indoor spaces enough already, so she took every bit of fresh air she could get, despite Fiyero's whining about her safety.

Xalo nodded solemnly. "Can we still not spend any time with him, Mum? I think he's kind of nice. I want to ask him if he can teach me how to fight!"

Elphaba bit her lip, exchanging a look with Oscar. She didn't really want to let the twins near Fiyero too often; but on the other hand, they didn't really have a father figure in their lives and maybe Fiyero could fill some of those holes for them while he was here. Didn't all fathers teach their sons things like fighting and playing sports? Besides, Fiyero was here to protect her. Annoying as he could be, she knew he would never let anything happen to her children – or she hoped he wouldn't, anyway.

"If you really want to," she agreed hesitantly and Xalo beamed at her.

Fawn scowled. "I'm not sure I like him," she said as Elphaba finished braiding her daughter's hair and secured it with an elastic hair band. "He forgot to protect you the first day and he sometimes talks to us like we're four years old. He's really stupid, isn't he?"

"No, sweetie," Elphaba reprimanded her mildly, but she was smirking. "Not _really_ stupid."

Fawn and Xalo giggled. Oscar hid his grin behind his coffee cup.

* * *

Fiyero had to admit that the deputy mayor looked sort of pretty when she was dressed up the way she was now. She was wearing a long, black dress with thin straps across her shoulders, paired with a pair of low heels and a black wrap. Her long, ebony hair had been swept up into a bun and she was wearing a little make-up, too. Still, her pace was brisk as ever and she didn't look any less annoyed than usual when he caught up with her.

"So you're meeting the mayor of Munchkin City tonight?" he asked as they got into the car and Fiyero started the engine. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her via the rear-view mirror. "Is he your secret lover?"

She didn't dignify that with a reply – not even to tell him that the mayor of Munchkin City was actually a woman. Instead, she pressed a button to open the window, scooting closer to it to breathe in the fresh air.

"Do you have to open that window?" he complained. "It's cold."

"Yes," she told him curtly, taking her phone out of her purse and checking it. When she glanced up, she noticed the window sliding up and she pushed the button again. "Stop that."

Fiyero grinned at her and childishly pressed the button he had in the front to close her window once more. "It's cold outside," he informed her again. "I'm here to protect you – not just from other people, but also from getting sick."

"I won't get sick," she snapped. "Open the window." He thought he detected an edge of panic in her voice, but dismissed that. It had probably just been annoyance he'd heard. He did stop, though – if only because there were more interesting ways at hand to irritate her.

"Seriously, though," he said. "You're a woman and you have a job and two children, but no husband or anything even remotely resembling one. Don't you go on dates or something? Never had a boyfriend?"

"Once again," she said slowly, as if she were talking to a dense child, "what makes you think that is any of your business? I won't have you prying into my personal life, Mr Tiggular."

"Fiyero," he corrected her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fiyero," she echoed, gritting her teeth. "You're here to do a job. So either do your job or go back to where you came from."

He huffed, scowling at her in the rear-view mirror. "There's no need to be rude, _Miss Thropp_. What have I ever done to you?" he demanded.

"To me personally? Nothing, aside from being terribly annoying," she shot back. "But I know of your reputation, _Fiyero_. I know of all the women you slept with and all the universities you flunked out of despite your father's money. It's almost impressive. Why did you do that, anyway? Why not just study and make something of your life?"

"As you keep putting so pointedly, Elphaba, that is none of your business," he snapped. "Here I am, attempting to be nice to you, and all you do is snap and snarl at me without so much as bothering to try to get to know me. I don't know why _I_ would bother if _you_ refuse to."

For a moment, she started feeling bad for him. She was on the verge of apologising, because she realised he was right – he hadn't given her a real reason to treat her the way she did, aside from his supposedly funny but in fact very annoying remarks and flirting, and she was being rude to him mostly just because of his reputation. She, of all people, should know that reputation wasn't everything and that rumours often did not even remotely approach the truth.

Feeling a little ashamed, she already opened her mouth to say she was sorry; but then he muttered, "I suppose my first impression of you was right and you're just an arrogant, rich little Miss Smarty-Pants with a big mouth and a stick up her arse who thinks she is so much better than everyone else."

At those words, ever last trace of compassion melted away like snow in summer and she hissed, seething, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're right," he said. "I don't. Because you won't tell me anything. But you know what? I don't care. You're not worth getting to know, anyway. After all," he sneered, "who wants to get to know a vegetable?"

Elphaba felt as if though she had been slapped. Of course she'd endured a lot of name-calling in her life; she was used to that. Ever since she'd left Shiz to come work for Oscar, however, no-one had dared to call her names anymore and she supposed she'd gotten used to having people around her who loved her despite her skin colour and claimed not to mind it in the slightest. To hear him jab at what was still her biggest source of insecurity now, after years of not hearing it... well, that hurt.

She jabbed a finger at him, sparks dancing between her fingers. "I strongly suggest," she hissed, "you keep your mouth shut from now on and just _leave me alone_."

She slammed her hand on the button that would raise a screen between the back seat and the driver and watched as it slowly came up, hiding Fiyero from view. She exhaled slowly, the magic crackling around her hands dying down as she calmed herself. A little. She was sure if she'd had to look at that smug, arrogant face a clock-tick longer, things would have gotten nasty.

She spent the rest of the drive in silence by herself, checking and answering her email on her phone and sending Galinda a text message.

 _Fiyero Tiggular is a pig._

The blonde replied not a minute later.

 _Give him a chance, Elphie. I'm sure he can't be that bad and you need him._

Elphaba gritted her teeth.

 _I can take care of myself._

Apparently, Galinda didn't want to dignify that with a reply, so Elphaba typed another message.

 _He called me a vegetable and said I have a stick up my arse._

She knew she sounded like a whiny child, but she didn't care. Fiyero brought out the worst in her. She didn't understand why he had to be here, anyway. What was going on this time that worried Oscar and Galinda so much more than the regular threats and intimidations?

Her phone beeped and she checked Galinda's latest text, which didn't make her feel much better.

 _I'll talk to him, Elphie, but you should also keep in mind that he's only trying to help. Knowing you, you probably snapped at him for no reason first._

She tossed the phone to the other side of the back seat with a huff and crossed her arms. So not even her best friend was on her side this time. Just great. She realised she was probably only this angry because she knew Galinda was right, but still – did that give Fiyero the right to call her petty names and say all those things about her when he didn't even know her? Just because she'd been acting childish, didn't mean he had to do it back.

She grimaced a little at her own twisted logic and picked up her phone again with a sigh, tucking it into the small purse she had with her and glancing out the open window. Thankfully, the restaurant was in sight already and the car stopped not long thereafter. Without waiting for Fiyero, Elphaba threw open the door and got out of the car, stalking over to the restaurant. By the time Fiyero had locked the car and reached the restaurant's front door, Elphaba and the Munchkin mayor – a woman, he discovered to his surprise – had already been seated and were talking over the menu.

He sat at a table by the door and ordered a drink, keeping half an eye on the green woman. Just because he didn't like Elphaba, didn't mean the threat to her was any less imminent and he still had a job to do. He couldn't just let her go to dinner and then go back by herself. If something happened to her and word got out to the press that he was employed to protect her, his career would be ruined.

And so he casually looked around the place, searching for any threats. He was immensely bored as he sipped his drink and waited for Elphaba to finish her dinner. Unfortunately, it looked like that was going to take another long while. He fished his phone from the pocket of his jeans and started playing a game on it in an attempt to kill time.

Many people seemed to recognise Elphaba – of course, she was hard to overlook because of her skin – and some of them came up to her and the Munchkin mayor to chat and shake her hand. Probably congratulating her on the new policies Fiyero knew she had been promoting – something to do with nature and animal protection in the Emerald City and with re-integration of Animals into society. When people pulled out their phones for pictures, however, Fiyero stepped in, trying to look as menacing as possible as he crossed his arms and barked, "No photos of the deputy mayor, please."

Elphaba rolled her eyes at him. The people trying to take her picture glared at him, but then a girl gasped, "Oh my Oz. You're Fiyero Tiggular!" and the attention was suddenly on _him_.

He could see Elphaba's smirk from the corner of his eyes as the girl came up to him, all but bouncing. "You were in _Ozmopolitan_ ," she informed him. "The magazine? You were in _OzBeat_ , too, and I saw an item about you on the _OzBeat_ TV channel the other day as well."

"That's nice," he said grumpily, not feeling like being swooned over for once. He hadn't felt like that ever since his father had disowned him. Most people who still came up to him after that only seemed to want to gloat and rub it in that he had ruined his chance to follow in his father's footsteps as Governor of the Tiggular Bank. Besides, the whole thing had changed him and his attitudes in life more than he had been willing to admit.

"Are you Deputy Mayor Thropp's bodyguard?" the girl wanted to know now, her eyes shining. "That is so romantic!"

Fiyero didn't miss the way Elphaba choked on a bite of food at that, obviously having overheard; and although that amused him, he was quick to assure the girl that no such thing was going on. "I'm just doing my job. It pays well."

"So the rumours are true," she gushed. "You're working as a bodyguard now because your parents cut you off and kicked you out and you have nowhere else to go?"

He scowled at her darkly and she took a step back. "I strongly suggest you keep your nose in your own business, Miss," he told her before stalking back to his table.

"Well, you haven't become any more fun over the years!" the girl called after him.

That was true, he knew, but he didn't say anything else about the matter and went back to the game on his phone.

Eventually, after a few long hours, Elphaba and the mayor both left the restaurant, Fiyero trailing after them. Oz, he was hungry. He hadn't gotten anything besides his drink because the place was way too expensive for him to be able to afford a proper meal there these days. He just hoped there would still be something to eat left at the Palace or he might have to venture into the City again to find some late-night fast food shack that was still open.

Elphaba and the mayor shook hands and they parted ways. Fiyero approached the dark-haired witch, but she sent a scowl in his direction.

"Get the car," she commented. "I want to walk a few blocks first to get some air."

"Yes, Your Highness," he mocked her, turning on his heels to return to the fancy car Elphaba drove. He'd actually been surprised that she'd let _him_ drive it. Then again, she didn't seem like the type of person who really worried about her car. She did seem like the independent kind of person intent on doing everything herself, but maybe she just found it convenient to be able to do other things, like checking her mail and reading reports on her phone, while he drove her around.

He trailed her with the car at a painstakingly slow pace, waiting for her to stop being stubborn and get into the car with him, but she didn't seem to be willing to do such a thing anytime soon. Luckily there wasn't a lot of traffic in this part of the City at this hour, since they were quite a distance away from the city centre. He sighed, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched Elphaba stride down the pavement, his window down.

"Are you stalking me now?" she asked over her shoulder after a while, without looking at him.

He huffed at her through the open window. "I'm just doing my job. You don't have to acknowledge my presence in any way."

"Good," she said nastily, going back to ignoring him.

"Good," he mimicked her mockingly, careful to keep his voice down so she wouldn't hear him. "Prickly cactus."

"I heard that," she snapped.

He nearly took his foot off the pedal, startled. "How? I was being quiet!" he protested.

She pointed at her head menacingly. "Good ears. Now one more word from you and you'll find yourself missing a limb, understood? I'm completely fed up with you."

"Fine," he said curtly. He was completely fed up with her, too.

Suddenly, he noticed someone creeping in the shadows. He narrowed his eyes, trying to study the person, but he couldn't see anything; it was too dark. The person kept up with Elphaba, never straying far from her, yet sticking close to trees and buildings and thus staying out of sight. The dark-haired witch didn't appear to have noticed the stranger yet, but Fiyero didn't trust it. Was this Elphaba's supposed stalker? He stopped the car on the side of the street and slowly got out of it, keeping his eyes on the man in the shadows. He tried to get a closer look at the stranger, but the creep suddenly glanced over his shoulder. Upon noticing Fiyero, he slunk into the shadows, disappearing from view completely. Fiyero cursed and ran over to the spot where he had last seen the man, but he couldn't find him anymore. He seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow at the guard, noticing his strange behaviour and apparently curious despite herself. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He glanced once more in the direction the stranger had disappeared in and then hurried over to Elphaba, guiding her over to the car with his hand at the small of her back, continuously looking around for a sign of the other man. "Get in the car. And next time please just take the car back instead of walking part of the way in the dark."

"I like walking," she said, scowling. "Especially after a big meal. What in Oz are you doing?"

"Just get into the car," he told her.

She protested, but he ignored her, continuing to propel her forward and into the vehicle, closing the door behind her and getting behind the steering wheel again.

She lowered the screen between her and Fiyero and leaned forward, her eyes blazing. "What was that all about?" she demanded.

"Just for fun," he said sarcastically, starting the car. "Enjoy the ride back, Miss Thropp." He could feel her eyes on him as he pressed his own button to raise the screen between them again, but he didn't look back at her even once.


	5. Fighting

**TrebledWriter: What you said about their asses not being hats made me laugh harder than it probably should have.**

 **Miranda: You'll have to wait for that a while, but they'll get one in the end! *smirks***

 **Fae'sFlower: Mum and Dad always did that to me and my sister, too - pretend-cry. We couldn't STAND it. The moment they did, we instantly ran over to hug and comfort them, haha.**

* * *

 **5\. Fighting**

"You are certain?" Oscar asked, worried; and Fiyero nodded. He was pacing up and down the mayor's office, with both Oscar and Galinda's concerned eyes following his movements. The blonde was wearing a green dress today, her hair pinned up and make-up accentuating her best facial features. She was pretty. Not even that long ago, Fiyero would have charmed her outrageously and he would make sure to end up in her bed within two days at most, boyfriend or no boyfriend. Now, however, he merely stuck to noticing her beauty – which, really, was hard to overlook for anyone – and some innocent flirting. Perhaps he had grown up a little after all over the past few years.

"I'm certain," he said in response to Oscar's question. "I saw him. I didn't see who it was – he was dressed in all black and he disappeared into the shadows when he noticed I had spotted him. I don't trust it. He didn't make a move, he was just watching her, but there's definitely something fishy going on."

"Fishy," Galinda echoed. She exchanged a glance with Oscar. "You don't suppose...?"

Oscar shook his head. "Morrible has been banned from the City," he pointed out. "I'd have received word if she had returned. Besides, she's a woman – why would she have a man following Elphaba around?"

Galinda shrugged. "To threaten her? Intimidate her?" she suggested. "The man could be working with Morrible even if she isn't in the City herself."

"Morrible?" Fiyero asked, scrunching up his nose. "You mean your former PA?"

He didn't know much about Madame Morrible – only that she had been working for Oscar a long time ago, but he found out she had an agenda of her own. Apparently he had confronted her, she had attacked him, and she'd been arrested for assault – or that was what Fiyero had heard, anyway. It had been quite the scandal and all of Oz had heard about it; Fiyero's parents had been talking about it a lot back when it had happened.

Oscar nodded at the younger man. "Yes. She was always interested in Elphaba." He frowned. "I don't think she is behind all of this, though."

"Why was she interested in Elphaba?" Fiyero asked curiously.

Oscar replied, "Because she was my daughter, although I didn't know that yet back then."

Fiyero must have looked confused, because Oscar elaborated without the guard needing to ask. "Elphaba's mother, Melena, was a woman I fell in love with during some travels in my younger days. I never knew she was pregnant with Elphaba; apparently, Melena did write to me, but by then I had already started my political campaign and Madame Morrible, who managed most of my campaign for me at the time, intercepted those letters and hid them, reasoning they wouldn't be beneficial for my reputation."

Fiyero could understand that. Image was everything in the world of politics and business, after all. He of all people could know.

"Melena passed away in childbirth with Elphaba's younger half-sister Nessarose," the mayor continued, "and Elphaba and Nessarose were both raised by Nessarose's father and Melena's husband, Frexspar Thropp, who is a priest in Munchkinland. Frexspar never knew he wasn't really Elphaba's father, I think – she doesn't like to talk about her childhood, so I don't know for sure."

"How did she find out that you are her real father, then?" Fiyero asked, his curiosity growing with every bit of information he received; but Galinda interjected this time.

"I think this is Elphie's story to tell, Oscar," she said sharply and he closed his mouth, nodding.

"Of course. I'm sorry, Fiyero," he apologised. "You'll have to ask Elphaba."

He sighed, grumbling under his breath. "I might as well as the statue in the hall, then. There's no way she'll ever tell me. She won't tell me _anything_ about her personal life."

"I'm sure she has her reasons," said Oscar.

Galinda smiled. "She's just a very private person," she said. "I'm sorry, Fiyero. I do wish we could tell you these things, but it's not our place to tell. Elphie would kill us."

Despite his disappointment, Fiyero could understand that the green woman wouldn't like her friend and father telling her life story to a relative stranger. Still, this whole conversation had made him immensely curious.

"What do you suggest we do about the creep following her around?" the blonde girl asked and Fiyero cocked his head a little to the side, thinking.

"Nothing yet," he said. "I need to find out who he is. I'll continue to accompany Elphaba every time she leaves the Palace and see if I can catch sight of our culprit again – perhaps even snap a picture of him. Maybe I can figure out his identity then."

Galinda and Oscar both nodded. "Good luck with that," said Oscar.

Galinda giggled. "With tracking down our guy or with continuously accompanying Elphaba?" she asked, her blue eyes twinkling. "Because I don't know which of those two is going to be harder on Fiyero here."

Unfortunately, Fiyero suspected that she was right.

* * *

Fiyero was in his office the next day, reading the notes and letters Elphaba's stalker had sent her, frowning. Galinda had given them to him at his request; he was hoping to find some clues as to the writer's identity in there. So far, he hadn't found anything other than that the writer seemed to be male. The handwriting was, as Galinda had told him before, impossible to lead back to a single man, since it seemed to differ with each sentence. The content of some of the letters was sickening, as Galinda had also already told him before. Someone was clearly obsessed with the deputy mayor. He'd seen a lot of strange things since he started working as a bodyguard, but even he felt a little nauseous upon reading the things this man had to say to Elphaba.

There was one thing the letters confirmed and that was that the man he'd seen following Elphaba around the day before had to be the same guy who had written these letters. The writer of the letters mentioned following her a couple of times and Fiyero thought it was highly unlikely that Elphaba had multiple stalkers. Perhaps that knowledge could come in handy, although he wasn't sure how. The only way to really achieve anything would be to catch and confront the guy in the act of following Elphaba, but Oz knew when that might happen.

He looked up when he heard footsteps and Xalo came bounding into the room, looking excited. "Fiyero! Do you have time to teach me about fighting now? Please? It's Sunday, so I don't have lessons, and I'm bored and I want to learn how to fight!"

The bodyguard chuckled and put the letters aside, rising to his feet. "Sure, kid. Let's find a place where we can practise, shall we?"

Xalo nodded eagerly. "We could go outside," he said. "The weather is nice and Mum doesn't want me practising inside anymore." He reddened a little and Fiyero grinned knowingly.

"Did you break something?"

"Yeah," the boy admitted. "I knocked over the TV when Duran was teaching me some basic things about fighting a while ago. Duran is a friend of Mum's," he explained upon seeing the confused look on Fiyero's face. "They went to university together. He's really nice – he's in the military now, so he also knows a lot about fighting."

The sandy-haired man followed Xalo through the Palace. Even after nearly a week, he still felt like he was lost all the time here and when Xalo walked into a large room filled with books, he looked around, bewildered.

"This doesn't look like the garden."

Xalo laughed at him. "It's just quicker to go there through the library from your office." He wove between the countless bookshelves and descended a flight of stairs, supposedly taking them to the second floor of the building. Or was it the first? How enormous was this building – not to mention this library?

They rounded a corner and walked past more bookshelves before Fiyero suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Elphaba curled up in an armchair by a fireplace in the corner, reading a book. She had a pair of glasses perched on her nose and there was a softness to her face that he never saw when she looked at him.

"Hi, Mum!" Xalo said brightly and she looked up from her book then, first smiling at her son and then scowling at Fiyero. The bodyguard made a face. Softness? He must have seen it wrong. There was nothing soft about this woman whatsoever.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Fiyero is going to teach me how to fight," Xalo said happily. "We're just going outside." He looked sheepish and Elphaba laughed softly.

"Good." She peered at Fiyero again over her glasses. "Be careful," she warned him. "If you hurt my son again..."

Fiyero snorted. "What do you think I am? Some kind of savage?"

"You threw him to the ground within ten minutes of first arriving here at the Palace," she pointed out to him. "You tell me."

He wisely kept his mouth shut at that and Xalo said, "Oh, Mum, I almost forgot. Auntie Galinda said that there was a call for you from Auntie Nessa. She asked you to call her back."

Elphaba's face lit up and she closed her book, quickly rising to her feet. "Thanks, sweetie. Have fun, you two!" She hurriedly left and Fiyero glanced at the boy beside him.

"Auntie Nessa?" he asked, figuring this must be about Elphaba's half-sister Nessarose and wanting to know more. He'd never be able to ask Elphaba about these details of her personal life, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find out about them at all.

"She lives in Munchkinland," Xalo explained as he continued his way through the library. They went through a door at the back and emerged in one of the hallways on the second (or was it the first?) floor, after which they took a lift down to the ground floor. Emerging from the lift, the boy turned right and then left and opened a door that led to a patio in the back gardens of the building – but by that time Fiyero already had no idea anymore how they had gotten there. The gardens were beautiful, though, well-kempt and large, with flowers, bushes, trees, fountains, and gravel paths everywhere. "She's nice, but we don't see her a lot. She's in a wheelchair and she lives with the Big, Bad Bully."

Fiyero choked. "With whom?!"

Xalo grinned sheepishly. "That's what Auntie Galinda calls him. He's Mum's father, but he's not really her father. Grandpa is her real father, but she grew up with Auntie Nessa and the Big, Bad – I mean, Frexspar Thropp, in Munchkinland."

"Do you ever see him?" Fiyero asked.

"Mr Thropp? Sometimes," said Xalo. "We've been to Munchkinland once or twice, but I only remember one time a couple of years ago. He's scary. Usually Auntie Nessa comes out to see us here in the Emerald City, but we only see her once every year or every two years because Mr Thropp doesn't want her to see Mum too often. He's really mean – he always says that Mum is a bad influence on Auntie Nessa."

Somewhere, deep down, Fiyero felt bad for Elphaba. It couldn't have been easy for her to grow up with a father like that, and then her green skin and her little sister in a wheelchair...

"Mum is very sad about that," Xalo continued as they moved farther out into the gardens, towards a patch of grass near a few trees at the back, "because she really loves Auntie Nessa and she has taken care of her for a long time, because of Auntie Nessa's wheelchair, but now she doesn't see her often. They just call and email. Like I said, Mr Thropp is really mean. That's why Auntie Galinda calls him the Big, Bad Bully."

Fiyero nodded seriously. "I see."

He spent the next hour or so teaching little Xalo some basic fighting moves and stances, showing him how best to throw a punch as well as block one. Once, when the boy tried to block one of Fiyero's moves, the older man suddenly found himself flung back by an invisible force and he landed hard on his back in the grass, the air knocked out of him.

He gasped and Xalo's face soon appeared in his line of vision, looking anxious.

"Fiyero? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he said, chewing his lower lip. "I can't always control it, especially when I get upset or excited... I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Fiyero managed breathlessly, slowly pushing himself into a sitting position. Well, this was humiliating. Knocked to the ground by an eight-year-old. He'd suspected the twins to have magic of their own since he'd seen the sparks of light around Fawn's hands on his first day here, but he hadn't seen any evidence of it since. How powerful _were_ these kids? And if little Xalo could already do this to him by accident, he shuddered to think about the magical powers Elphaba had to possess and the things _she_ could do.

Xalo still looked worried and Fiyero gave him a weak grin. "Really, kid, it's fine. Consider it payback for the day I arrived," he panted and Xalo chuckled, nodding.

"Okay."

By the time they went back inside a while later, Xalo was tired, but beaming.

"Thanks, Fiyero," he said to the guard as they re-entered the library. "For teaching me."

"You're welcome, buddy." Fiyero held up his hand and Xalo grinned as he gave him a high-five. He then dashed off to find his sister to play with.

Fiyero spun around slowly, trying to orientate himself. If he could only find the staircase leading back up to the upper floor of the library... but where was it again?

He ended up roaming the library for a while before he finally located the staircase again and then nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly found Elphaba sitting there, on the upper floor this time, once again with her nose buried in a book. "Oz, you scared me."

She glanced up only momentarily before returning to her book and he asked, "Do you like to read?"

"No," she deadpanned without looking up from the pages. "I'm bored to tears right now. Can't you tell?"

All right, he supposed he had deserved that. "You know what's funny? Only a day and a half ago, you snarled at me that you were completely fed up with me; and yet here you are, talking to me again."

She ignored him.

"I'd say you are attracted to me, like every other female in Oz."

"Don't flatter yourself." She turned a page. "Does your love for yourself know no bounds at all?"

"None," he informed her, grinning, and she rolled her eyes.

"I should have guessed. Is it real, though, or is it all a part of your oh-look-at-me-I-am-so-happy-act?"

He stilled. "What?" Was she using her magic on him now? Could she read minds? He had not even been here for a week – how had she seen through him so quickly?

"I know what misery looks like, Fiyero," she said, finally looking up from her book to meet his stunned gaze. "No matter how well it is hidden, I can always tell. Until you're ready to admit to yourself that you're unhappy, though, it's no use talking about it at all, because it will just end with you snapping at me again and I've had enough of that, thank you very much. Could you let this vegetable read in peace now?"

He was still staring at her, stunned, as she returned to her book; and he stood there gaping for another minute at least before he got himself together and fled the library as if death itself was on his heels.


	6. Threats

**I'm glad you all like the twins, and I love reading about your suspicions! I'm not going to give anything away, though - you'll have to be patient and see for yourselves! ^_^**

* * *

 **6\. Threats**

Fiyero didn't come down for dinner that night, instead opting to have a tray brought up to his room; and Elphaba, for some weird and crazy reason, felt guilty. That was why, the moment they had all finished eating and Fawn and Xalo ran off to play, she made her way down the hallway and knocked on the door to Fiyero's room.

When he opened it, she inadvertently took a step back. His eyes were blood-shot, his normally so carefully styled hair looked messy, and he was dressed in what was clearly his when-at-home-alone-outfit – jogging trousers and an old sweater. She wasn't sure what he had been doing, but he seemed agitated and that only got worse as he laid eyes on her.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, running his fingers through his hair. That explained why it was standing in all directions.

She took a breath. "Can I come in?"

He grudgingly let her into his rooms. They were spacious and tastefully decorated; after Elphaba had moved into the Palace and Galinda had come to work for her and Oscar, the blonde had re-decorated most of the rooms in the buildings, including the guest rooms. Like Elphaba's own chambers, Fiyero's rooms consisted of a foyer, bedroom, and bathroom, although these guest rooms were slightly smaller than her own. He'd also been given an office from where he could work as long as he was here, but it was on the fourth floor with the other offices.

Fiyero motioned for her to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs around a side table in the corner of the foyer. She remained standing by the open door, though, glancing out of it for a moment before turning back to him and saying simply, "I'm sorry."

He raised his eyebrows, clearly not having expected that.

She shook her head. "I had no right to say those things to you," she said. "In the library this afternoon, I mean. I don't presume to know you and I should have kept my big mouth shut, so I'm sorry."

"Look at that," he drawled. "I didn't think you were even capable of saying those words."

She bristled. "If you're going to be a jerk about it –"

"No, no, wait!" He held up his hands. "I'm sorry. I just..." He started pacing and she watched him warily, following him with her eyes. She noticed the way his muscles moved underneath his shirt as he strode back and forth, but she forced her gaze back up to his face, feeling warmth creep up her neck to her cheeks.

He stopped pacing and looked at her. "It's true," he said. "You don't know me, and you had no right to say those things." She opened her mouth to make a nasty remark, but he held up one hand to silence her. "The thing is that you... well, you were right. And that just... shook me a little, I guess. No-one ever saw that before," he admitted. "Most people buy the act I give them, so you can imagine I was a little shocked when you didn't. So… yeah. You don't need to apologise. You were right."

She closed her mouth, recognising that this could be considered an apology from him, too. "I know I was right," she said matter-of-factly. "But that doesn't mean I should have said all those things to you – especially since I made it very clear to you that I don't want _you_ prying into _my_ personal life, either. It's none of my business."

"It's not," he agreed and then fell silent, not really knowing what else to say. "Um... I suppose I should apologise for the things I said to you, too," he muttered, not meeting her gaze. "The whole vegetable business, I mean, and... well, everything else. You don't know me, but I don't know you, either. Besides, it was childish of me."

She shook her head. "Well, I of all people should know that reputation isn't everything and I should know better than to base my own opinion on that."

"That goes for me, too." He held out his hand. "Truce?"

She took it and gave it a firm shake. "Truce. But no more inappropriate flirting or prying into my personal life," she warned and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

"You won't have to put up with me for much longer, anyway," she said. "These threats usually pass quickly by themselves. I've never experienced anyone actually going through with them. Some people just find intimidation a suitable way to try and discourage someone from publicly giving their opinion or changing things, but I'm fairly sure there's no real danger there, anyway, and they'll give up soon enough."

Fiyero shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," he told her. "But we'll see. I'll keep an eye on you, anyway. You're paying me to do that, after all."

Her eyes widened. " _I_ am paying you?"

He shrugged, grinning a little. "That's what Galinda said. My payroll comes from your bank account."

"I'm going to kill that girl!" Elphaba swore and turned around, stalking out of the room. Before leaving, she pointed a menacing finger at him. "Remember what I said."

"I will," he said, mockingly pointing his own finger at her as well. Much to his surprise, she actually laughed at his imitation of her before closing the door behind her.

* * *

Over the course of the next week or so, Fiyero continued to accompany Elphaba to every meeting and appointment she had outside of the Palace. He preferred the meetings she had at other Emerald City officials' homes, because then he knew she was safe inside and he could stay in the car with the motor still running and turn the volume of the radio up, belting along to the most popular songs of the moment until the green woman's meeting was over. Elphaba caught him doing that once, when a meeting ended early. She spent the entire way back scolding him for not giving a twig about the environment, lecturing him on pollution and the damaging qualities of exhaust fumes.

"Is that why you prefer to walk everywhere if you can help it?" he asked her curiously when she paused for breath in the middle of that lecture. For some reason, Elphaba insisted on walking to her every appointment if it was in a three-kilometre radius of the Palace – much to Fiyero's chagrin. Not only did it mean he had to trudge along behind her; it also meant that when she was invited to some official's home within said three-kilometre radius, there was no way he could stay in the car with his favourite music on. Instead he had to sit or stand in a corner of the room somewhere, being unobtrusive, while Elphaba and whoever discussed some plan or idea for hours.

"Partly," was her curt answer to his question. "It would be hypocritical for me to promote ecological city life and then be seen driving a car to an appointment two blocks away. I also happen to like the fresh air."

"I noticed," he muttered. "Crazy woman. Insisting on keeping a window open even when it's nearly freezing outside."

"It's April," she said snippily. "It's not that cold."

"Temperatures dropped nearly to zero the other night and you still wanted that window open," he pointed out.

She scoffed, but didn't say anything else.

As he stayed longer at the Palace, he also got to know the others a little better. Galinda was around almost twenty-four seven, either working or spending time with Elphaba and her family, often accompanied by Cohvu in the latter case. They came over for dinner on a regular basis and Fiyero found himself liking them both. Galinda, of course, was sunny and cheerful all the time, unhealthily obsessed with shopping and the colour pink, and very talkative; while Cohvu was a lot quieter, but friendly nonetheless.

"How long have they been together?" Fiyero asked Elphaba on Saturday evening, when they were walking to a café nearby. Elphaba was going for a drink with Duran Hunter, an old friend of hers from university; and as usual, Fiyero was trailing along. "Cohvu and Galinda, I mean."

Elphaba thought about that for a moment. "They got together in our final year at Shiz, so about four and a half years ago," she said. "I expect the news of an engagement will be coming soon, but Cohvu told me he wanted to save enough money first so that he was sure he would be able to provide for Glin."

Fiyero grinned. "I can imagine Galinda is rather high-maintenance."

"Galinda is my best friend and the sweetest girl I've ever known," Elphaba said defensively, but then she admitted, "but yes, it takes a lot of effort to keep her happy, I suppose."

Since they were walking, there was no way for Fiyero to be able to stay in the car and so he went inside the pub with Elphaba, taking a seat at the bar and ordering a Vinkun beer as she warmly greeted Duran, a tall man with thick, brown hair and a huge grin on his face, and they sat down together. Over the course of the evening, he watched in mild astonishment as both Elphaba and her companion downed one glass of heavy Gillikin wine after the other. He'd never thought about it before, but if he had, he'd have figured she hated alcohol. Control freak as she was, he'd expected her to never want to lose control by getting drunk, but he must have been wrong about that.

They talked and laughed and got louder as the evening progressed, but by then Fiyero was slightly intoxicated himself from all the Vinkun beers. Elphaba's friend paid for both of them – how _chivalrous_ – and then they left, Fiyero following them. He thought he caught a glimpse of a person in the shadows across the street, but then he blinked and the shape was gone.

Duran kissed Elphaba's cheek in good-bye, then waved at her as he got into a taxi. The green woman waved back and started walking, nearly stumbling over her own feet. Fiyero shot forward to steady her and she grinned at him.

"Thanks," she slurred. "I don't usually drink, but Dur and I had a bit of a tradition at Shiz with Gillikin wine. A game."

"What kind of game?" Fiyero asked in amusement.

She made a face. "It started out as a bet," she confessed. "He always teased me because I showed off to him about being smart – you know, reciting law articles to him from the top of my head, stuff like that."

Fiyero smirked. That did sound like Elphaba.

"And then Duran challenged me," she continued, "saying he didn't think I could still recite the Ozian Convention on Minority Protection after a couple of glasses of Gillikin wine. So I took that bet and recited an article from the convention after every glass. I eventually had to stop at seven glasses because then I toppled off my chair and Galinda had to drag me to the infirmary to have my scraped elbow and mild concussion taken care of, but he was impressed. Tonight was just reliving old times."

"Well, it's nice to see you loosening up a little," he said with a chuckle and she stuck out her tongue at him, grabbing his arm when she threatened to trip again.

She groaned. "Sweet Oz, this is embarrassing."

"I could call a taxi," Fiyero offered, but she shook her head.

"Never mind," she muttered. "We'll walk. It's not that far."

"Can you still recite that convention?" Fiyero asked, half joking and half genuinely curious. "Say... article four?"

Elphaba instantly pulled away from him and spread her arms dramatically. "Article four," she declared dramatically. "The Provinces undertake to guarantee to persons belonging to national minorities the right of equality before the law and of equal protection of the law. In this respect, any discrimination based on belonging –" She cut herself off when she nearly stumbled over her own feet again and Fiyero quickly shot forward to hold her up.

"All right, stop, I believe you," he laughed. "Yeesh. You're crazy, you know that?"

"That's a new one," she muttered. "Usually people stick with 'weird'."

He didn't know what to say to that, so he just kept quiet.

It took them nearly half an hour to get to the Palace. Despite the alcohol coursing through Fiyero's veins, he was still sharp enough to keep an eye out for Elphaba's stalker – he'd made sure of that, obviously, since the job came before the fun – but he didn't see anyone.

Elphaba all but fell through the door into the hall, giggling, which was a very unnerving thing to see the normally stoic deputy mayor do. Fiyero caught her before she hit the floor – it was clear that he had a lot more experience with being drunk than she did. "Careful."

She huffed at him and he watched her swaying over to the staircase.

"Shouldn't you take the lift?" he called after her, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Just because you're lazy," she muttered, but he heard anyway. He rolled his eyes and joined her, making sure she didn't stumble and fall on the steps. She was holding on to the railing for dear life as she climbed the stairs, but they made it up to the fifth floor somehow and Fiyero dropped Elphaba off at the door to her chambers.

He yawned widely and made his way down the hallway. He went into his own rooms and kicked off his shoes, quickly splashing some water into his face before falling face-first onto his bed and not getting up again.

* * *

"Fiyero!" Galinda cried as Fiyero dragged himself past her office the next morning, having gotten lost once again in search of the kitchen for some coffee. Apparently he wasn't just in the wrong part of the building for that – he was actually on the wrong floor. Great. He should have remembered that all the living quarters were up on the fifth floor, but it was hard to remember anything at all right now. "I just tried to call you, but you didn't pick up. Could you please step in here?"

He really didn't want to, hung-over as he was, but she added, "It's important, Fiyero, please," in such a pleading tone that he caved and changed direction. She sighed gratefully as he entered her office. "Thank you."

Oscar was there, too, and he looked up when the younger man entered. He gave a nod. "Fiyero."

"What's going on?" Fiyero asked, rubbing his face, and Oscar handed him a piece of paper with a grim expression on his face.

"Another letter. Galinda got it just now."

Fiyero held it up in the light and read it aloud. "'I saw you last night, Elphaba. I saw you with that other man. Do not test me. You are mine and mine alone.' He's certainly possessive, isn't he?"

Galinda looked like she was going to be sick. "There's more."

"'Soon, I will claim you in every possible way, the way it was always supposed to be. I will finally feel your body against mine and taste your sweet, emerald skin. I will touch you –' Okay. Ew." He read the rest in silence, his eyes growing wide. "Sweet Oz. This must be the most disturbing thing I've ever read." He suppressed a shudder and tossed the letter onto the desk. "Don't you guys think it's time we tell her about this?"

"No," said Galinda firmly, shaking her head. "She can't know, Fiyero. It would only worry and disgust her and we wouldn't achieve anything."

Fiyero frowned. "I won't claim to know her very well, Galinda, but I don't think she'll appreciate being kept in the dark about this. I think she should know. Look at this – 'I warn you, Elphaba. You will be mine or you will face the consequences.' Who knows what this creep is up to? He could come after her – he might even come after the people she loves, like the twins. Do you really want to risk that?"

"I don't think he would do that," said Galinda. "His threats have only been directed at Elphaba herself so far. We have no reason to believe he would harm the twins. Fiyero, please, just trust me on this," she begged. "Telling her would only stir up bad memories."

He perked up at that, always eager to learn something new about the mysterious, prickly and intimidating, yet rather interesting Elphaba Thropp. "What kind of memories?"

"Not my place to tell, Fiyero," Galinda said sternly. "Stop prying."

"This confirms that it was him, though, doesn't it?" asked Oscar. "The man you saw following her a few times, I mean, Fiyero. He was our guy."

Fiyero nodded. "Now all we have to do is catch him. That should be easy." He sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but it would be best if we could lure him out, somehow. Make him show himself."

"How?" Galinda asked practically. "Send Elphaba out into the streets by herself late at night with you trailing her and hoping the guy will follow her, too? She'll know right away that something is up. So would he, probably."

Fiyero chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "I'll think about this some more. I'm sure I can come up with something. Until then, I'll just... keep an eye on Elphaba." He glanced at Oscar. "And I want to talk to you again about security of the building. We need to strengthen it, just to be sure – more cameras, for one. I'd really like to have Elphaba guarded more closely when she leaves, not just by me, but..."

"...but then she'd know something was up," Oscar finished for him. "We have faith in you, Fiyero. You can keep her safe by yourself."

Fiyero wasn't so sure, but he nodded, switching off his own feelings and turning into the bodyguard he had been trained to be. This was just another job, after all. It didn't matter that he didn't like Elphaba or that he was immensely curious about her past. He didn't care about the fact that his clients had children or other family members that would miss him or her; all those things didn't matter to him. In the end, a client was a client and as long as they paid him, he would do the best he could to protect them from whatever harm they feared might come to them.

"Now that you're here," said Galinda, giving him a radiant smile, "would you mind going over the security details for the twins' birthday party next weekend with me? I think with the recent developments, we shouldn't take any risks."

He sighed. "Fine," he said grumpily. "Under one condition."

Galinda raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Coffee," he grunted. "Lots of coffee."

She giggled and swept out of the room. "I'm on it. Be right back."

* * *

 **The Ozian Convention on Minority Protection is actually the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as studied by me for my Victimology and Criminal Justice master at uni, modified to fit into the Ozian universe. :P**

 **Also, I've been posting a couple of drabbles lately, if you feel like reading some short, light little things!**


	7. Complications

**I love how suspicious you all are of everything and everyone (including me, because you all know me so well).**

* * *

 **7\. Complications**

"Mama?"

The mere word had Elphaba looking up from her laptop in concern. Both her children had been calling her "Mum", rather than "Mama", for years now – unless they were scared, sad, or in pain.

Huddled in the doorway, Fawn appeared to be all three at once. She looked smaller and much younger than her age as she stood there, looking at her mother with wide green eyes. Elphaba instantly rolled her desk chair backwards and moved over to her daughter, pulling her into her arms.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, gently, but urgently.

"It's Duran," said Fawn, her voice shaking. "He… he came to the Palace. Auntie Galinda sent me to find you. Someone hurt him, Mama!"

Ignoring the fear that crept down her spine at that, Elphaba continued to hold her daughter until Fawn stopped trembling. She gently ran her fingers through the little girl's hair. "Will you come with me, sweetheart, or would you rather stay with Grandpa?" She could understand it if Fawn was too scared to face a wounded Duran again.

She shook her head. "I want to come," she said, Elphaba's own determination shining through, and the green woman smiled sadly. Fawn was definitely her mother's daughter. She had proven that time after time in her short life so far.

The two quickly made their way downstairs to the foyer where Fawn said Duran had been taken and the moment Elphaba laid eyes on her friend, she sucked in her breath with a sharp hiss. Ever since graduating Shiz, Duran had been in the military, so she knew he had to be used to his fair share of pain; but he definitely seemed to be in pain now. "Sweet Oz, Dur, what happened to you?"

He turned his head and winced at the movement. She couldn't blame him. He had a black eye and a split lip, his jaw was bruised and there was a stitched-up cut in his forehead. His arm was in a sling. Even though his wounds looked like they had been taken care of, it was still an awful sight to behold and Elphaba couldn't blame Fawn for being upset over it.

Galinda was sitting in the armchair beside their university friend, looking worried. "He won't say anything to me," she said to Elphaba. "The girl at the reception desk called me when I had just finished going over the security plans for Fawn and Xalo's birthday with Fiyero, saying Duran was here, asking for you, and she didn't know what to do. I brought him up here, but he says he only wants to talk to you and I wasn't sure what to do, either, so I sent Fawn to go get you."

"It's all right." Elphaba smoothed her hand over Fawn's head once more before gently pushing her in Galinda's direction. The little girl climbed into the blonde's lap and Elphaba crouched down in front of Duran. "Dur? What happened?"

"What happened?" he repeated, sounding a little strange because of his split lip. He also sounded pissed, which was something she had hardly ever experienced before. Duran was usually a very easy-going guy – he almost never got upset over anything, although she supposed she couldn't blame him this time. Still, that didn't explain why he would be pissed at _her_. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend?"

Elphaba blinked. "What?"

"Your boyfriend," Duran said again, glaring at her. "The one who beat me to pulp after our dinner because he saw us together and apparently got jealous."

Galinda had gone very still and wide-eyed. Elphaba continued to look puzzled.

"I don't have a boyfriend," she said. "What makes you think it was my boyfriend beating you up? Did he say anything?"

"He only kept saying "Stay away from Elphaba. She is mine and mine alone". Whoever this guy is, Elphaba, I thought you had better taste than him. He seems like a possessive creep to me."

"I already told you, I don't have a boyfriend," said Elphaba impatiently. "Dur, there must have been some sort of mistake. I am not anyone's property and there is no-one who could lay such a claim to me, because I'm not in any kind of relationship – I haven't been in nearly ten years, not since… well, you know." Since before Shiz, when she'd fallen pregnant with the twins. He knew that story – the general gist of it, anyway. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

Duran nodded, flinching again at the movement. Elphaba gave him a sympathetic look. "Hold on." She carefully let her hands hover over his face and arm and closed her eyes for a moment, chanting a simple healing spell under her breath. It wasn't enough to make his injuries disappear completely, but it was enough to significantly diminish his pain.

He sighed in relief when the white light faded. "Thanks, El."

She sat back on her heels. "Now tell me."

"All I know is that it was a guy dressed in all black with the hood of his sweater drawn over his face," said Duran, shifting a little. "He sounded and moved like he was our age, at least not much older. He kept telling me to stay away from you as he beat me, that you were his and that I would pay for it if he saw me alone with you again. Then he just walked away. I don't know who he was. I didn't even see his face."

Elphaba frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense." She glanced at Galinda, who still looked stricken. "Does it?"

Galinda blinked and then slowly shook her head, tightening her grip on Fawn. "No. It doesn't."

"Who could this guy be?" Elphaba demanded, starting to pace up and down the room. "I hardly even _know_ a lot of men our age. Galinda keeps helpfully pointing out to me that I should get out more if I ever want a relationship because I can't date guys I've never met and that I know too few "dateable" people. The only men our age I have contact with on a regular basis are Duran, Cohvu, sometimes Gazilon," he was another university friend of theirs, but she couldn't imagine him being behind this, either, "and…" She trailed off, her eyes narrowing as she stopped pacing. "…Fiyero."

Galinda gaped at her friend, finally finding her voice again. "You think it was _Fiyero_?! But why would he do such a thing? Elphie, he may be annoying, but he's not cruel! He wouldn't beat up one of your friends!"

Elphaba sighed. "I guess you're right." She shouldn't go around making such accusations; she just didn't know what else could be going on. Who was this person and why did he think she belonged to him?

Fawn, meanwhile, had been looking from Duran to her mother to Galinda and back again, still curled up in the blonde's lap; and when Elphaba's gaze finally fell on her, she softened.

"This is not the time or the place for this discussion," she said, moving over to Galinda to help Fawn back to her feet and putting an arm around her daughter. "I don't know anything for sure, anyway, Galinda. I just think it's a little suspicious."

Fawn looked up at the green woman hesitantly. "Mum? Do you really think _Fiyero_ hurt Duran?" she asked.

Elphaba sighed again and shook her head, steering Fawn away from Galinda and Duran and back into the hallway. "I don't know, sweetie," she said. "But one way or another, I will find out."

* * *

"Elphaba." Fiyero stopped her in the hallway when she was on her way to her office later that day. "What's wrong?"

She frowned at him. "What makes you think something is wrong?" Did he know something? Were her suspicions maybe more well-founded than she'd thought?

"You're looking stressed and distracted and I just saw Xalo attempting to comfort Fawn with chocolate chip biscuits in the kitchen," Fiyero told her. "What's going on?"

She bit her lip and then decided to bite the bullet. "Where did you go after walking me to my rooms? The night I had dinner with Duran?"

He furrowed his brow. "I went to my own rooms and into my bed," he said slowly. "Why?"

She shook her head. "No reason." She wasn't sure if he was telling the truth, but she felt a little ashamed for suspecting him to have beaten up Duran nonetheless and she certainly wasn't going to tell him that she did.

"Elphaba?" he pressed and she sighed, turning back to look at him.

"Do you remember Duran?" she asked. "My friend from university – the one I had dinner with last night?"

He nodded. "What about him?"

"He was here just now," she said. She shifted a little, hugging herself. "Someone beat him up when he was on his way home."

Fiyero swore, taking a step closer. "Because he was seen with you?"

"Yes." She looked at him strangely. "How do you know that?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it. He didn't have a good answer to that unless he wanted to reveal what Galinda and her father had been keeping from her – and he had no desire of doing so without their approval. Instead he asked, "Is that why you asked where I was? Did you think maybe I saw something?"

He saw the flicker of guilt in her eyes, the hint of suspicion, and he suddenly understood. "You thought I did it." It wasn't a question, because he already knew the answer.

She kept her mouth shut and he barked a mirthless laugh, running his fingers through his hair. "Wow. This is just… just great. In your mind, I've gone from simply annoying to a creepy, jealous prick who beats up other people, haven't I? You know my reputation, as you so kindly pointed out to me before, so it won't surprise you that _many_ women have thought _many_ bad things about me over the years, but I'm pretty sure this tops it all."

She flushed, but she held his gaze steadily as she said, "I'm not accusing you, but I also don't trust you. I don't really know you. You can hardly deny that."

"True," he said. "I can't. And you know what? Even if I did, you wouldn't believe me, because you've already made up your mind about me. Truce or no truce, you decided before I even set foot in this building that I was just an arrogant, selfish, lazy, stupid, and brainless jerk who got himself disowned by his own family because of his terrible behaviour. From there, the step to "cruel stalker beating up my friends" can't have been too big. Am I right?"

He _was_ right, she supposed, and she felt ashamed at that; but she also still stood by what she'd said earlier. She didn't know him. It wasn't that strange that she suspected him, was it?

"I guess you are, to some extent," she admitted calmly. "On top of that, you've been trying to flirt with me ever since you got here; so yes, it did cross my mind that maybe you fancy yourself in love with me and went after Duran when you saw how much fun I was having with him last night. I'm not accusing you, but it's something I should consider."

He snorted. "Yes, I've been flirting with you. I've also been flirting with Galinda and with every other girl I've come across since I came here. It's what I do. That doesn't mean anything."

She sighed wearily. "Fiyero, I know I said I shouldn't judge you by your reputation, and I stand by that; but all the rumours I've heard about you don't exactly convince me that you're a trustworthy guy. Is it so strange that I am trying to consider every possibility?"

"You're one to talk about rumours and reputation, aren't you?" he said bitterly. "I may have gotten kicked out of my home and slept with my share of girls, but at least I didn't get myself pregnant when I was still a teenager!"

Elphaba recoiled, the blood draining from her face and looking as if he had just punched her in the stomach.

"Well," he said, taking a step closer and forcing her to take another step back, "I made up my mind, too, Deputy Mayor Thropp. I'll be out of here by morning. You can find someone else to protect you if you still think that is needed. I'm done with your attitude." With that, he closed the door in front of her nose and locked it.

* * *

Elphaba felt like she had only slept for a few minutes when her bedroom door opened just a crack and a voice whispered, "Mum?"

"Yeah?" she mumbled sleepily, raising her head.

Xalo was poking his head through the door, looking a little worried. "Fawn had a nightmare," he said. "She's in my room, but she's still really upset."

Elphaba pushed herself out of bed, slipping on a robe and a pair of fuzzy slippers as she followed her son into the hallway. This wasn't a very rare occurrence; the twins each had their own bedroom, but their rooms were next to one another and whenever either of them had a nightmare or couldn't sleep, they often sneaked into the other's bedroom. They then spent the rest of the night like that, feeling better together than they would alone. Usually, however, Elphaba didn't even know about this until morning came and she found one of their rooms empty. Only very rarely did they come to her in the middle of the night, so she suspected Fawn must truly be upset.

The little green girl was curled up in a ball in the middle of Xalo's bed. Her eyes were open, but she didn't move, not even when Xalo crawled onto the bed with her and started stroking her dark brown hair or when Elphaba sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, sweetie," said Elphaba softly, reaching out to pull her daughter closer. "What happened? Did you have a bad dream?"

Fawn nodded, turning to crawl into her mother's embrace, arms going around her neck and dark head on her shoulder, burying her face in Elphaba's neck. The young witch held her daughter tightly, stroking her hair whilst giving Xalo a reassuring smile over his twin sister's head.

"Will you tell me what it was about?" Elphaba asked gently, never stopping her motions over Fawn's hair, and the little girl shuddered a little.

"There was a man," she whispered. "He tried to attack Xalo and me, and then you came to protect us, but he just pushed you aside and you fell and you didn't move..." She sobbed and Elphaba held her tighter, trailing soothing circles on her back.

"It's all right now, sweetheart," she murmured. "It wasn't real – it was just a dream. I'm here, and Xalo's here, and no man is going to hurt me or either of you, okay?"

"But someone might hurt you," said Fawn, her lower lip wobbling as she pulled away to look at her mother. "That's why Fiyero is here, isn't it? To protect you, because someone wants to hurt you." She buried her face in Elphaba's robe again. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, Mama."

Elphaba's heart broke. She caught Xalo's eye over her daughter's head and, upon seeing the fear he was trying to hide, she shifted Fawn so she still had one arm around her and held out the other to her son. Xalo quickly snuggled up against her as well and she pressed kisses to the tops of their heads, rocking them back and forth.

"No-one is going to hurt me," she said. "It's like you said – that is why Fiyero is here, and he will do his job. Okay? He won't let anything happen to me."

"But you said he was stupid," said Fawn, her voice muffled because she still had her face pressed against Elphaba.

Elphaba huffed a laugh. "He _is_ stupid," she agreed, "but he is also the best bodyguard in all of Oz. If anyone can protect me, it's him."

"But he said he was leaving," said Xalo. "I heard him tell Auntie Galinda. He said he was taking the first taxi to the airport in the morning."

"He's not going anywhere," Elphaba promised. "Don't you worry so much, my little monkeys. We'll all be fine."

She held them for a while longer, until she could tell that they had both calmed down; and then asked, "Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

They both nodded and she led them out of Xalo's room and over to her own, where they climbed into her bed. She put her arms around them as they each curled up against one of her sides. They fell asleep easily; she, however, stayed up for another long while, thinking. She'd have to find a way to stop Fiyero from leaving in the morning.


	8. Forgiveness

**I loved reading your reviews - as always. ^_^ I know I've said this before, but I'm still surprised sometimes that you all like to read the things I write. It makes being a writer so much more fun!**

* * *

 **8\. Forgiveness**

"Fiyero, please," Galinda beseeched him, watching with growing horror as he packed his last things. "Please reconsider. We need you."

"She made it pretty clear to me that she doesn't," he snapped, closing his bag. "I'm done, Galinda. It's obvious that you and the mayor want me here, not her. She hates me – which is great, because I hate her, too. Whatever that creep is planning on doing to her, she has it coming."

Galinda slapped him.

His hand flew up to his burning cheek and he gaped at the petite blonde woman, who now looked furious and almost intimidating as she planted her hands on her hips. He hadn't expected her to be capable of such anger, if he were honest with himself.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," she hissed at him. "You don't know what she's been through. You don't know how hard she worked to get where she is now. Yes, she is defensive and prickly and she can get on your nerves sometimes; but how can you blame her for that when she has grown up being ostracised and bullied by everyone around her because of the colour of her skin? When the first person who seemed to like her for who she was took advantage of her and her own father kicked her out when he found out she was pregnant?"

He blinked, gaping slightly. He hadn't known that. Of course he hadn't known – she'd never told him; she'd never had any reason to, either, but... well, it explained a few things to him. He suddenly felt very ashamed of the things he'd said to her the day before – especially about her pregnancy.

" _She_ never ran away from her problems," Galinda continued. " _She_ never started seducing random men or flunking out of every school she went to. She tried her hardest to make something of her life and to do good, even though it sometimes felt like the entire world was against her. She's been through enough in her life, Fiyero, and I won't let this guy get to her even if it costs me my own life. So stop saying such terrible things and make a decision – either you stay here and continue to protect her or you get the hell out of my way so I can find someone else."

He just stood there, still gawking at the woman in front of him. She seemed so small and unimpressive, a little blonde lady in heels and a fluffy dress, but she had more spunk than he'd thought.

When he didn't stop staring, Galinda huffed and crossed her arms. He scowled and mirrored her.

Her eyes narrowed and she started tapping her high-heeled foot. "So what's it going to be?"

Just then, however, someone knocked on the open door and a timid voice asked, "Fiyero?"

It was Elphaba and that was reason for him to start gaping once more, because since when did Elphaba sound timid? When she lingered in the doorway, however, he noticed that she looked pale and tired, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Please stay," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I suspected you. I just..." She took a breath and rubbed her eyes. "If only because it would make the twins feel better, I'd really like for you to stay."

He frowned. "The twins?"

She met his gaze. "I hardly slept all night," she admitted. "Fawn had a nightmare about a man coming after her and her brother and then attacking me... she's terrified. They both are. They don't know what's going on, but they sense that something is off, that there is some sort of threat, and I need my children to feel safe. Please."

"Poor Fawn," said Galinda sympathetically. "Is she all right now?"

Elphaba nodded. "They both are, but the point is that I sense it, too. There _is_ a threat; I just don't know what, exactly, it is."

Fiyero and Galinda exchanged a look that did not escape Elphaba's attention. "What?" She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know more about this?"

"No!" said Galinda, a little too quickly.

Fiyero just sighed and said, "Fine. I'll stay."

As he had hoped, that took her attention off the secret they were keeping from her and she looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded, marvelling at the hope he heard in her voice. He'd seen the look in her eyes when she talked about her children being scared. It was like nothing he had ever seen on her before – not when she looked at him, anyway – and it genuinely had made him reconsider his decision. Maybe she wasn't as heartless as he had accused her of being, and maybe, just maybe, he was to blame for that a little bit as well. His temper seemed to be quite as bad as hers sometimes.

He would just protect her for a while, he decided, and track down this creep; and after that, he would leave again, hopefully with a fair amount of money in tow, and he would start building himself a life elsewhere.

"Thank you," she said, smiling a little, which seemed to melt all the sharpness away from her.

"Don't make me regret it," he grumbled and she scowled momentarily before relenting.

"I'll try."

He smirked at her. She rolled her eyes and turned around.

"So are you going out today?" he called after her and she replied, "I have a meeting this afternoon at four with a representative from the Vinkus at the other end of the City."

The Vinkus. His parents. He swallowed, but he pushed the mixed feelings that arose at her announcement away. His parents had disowned him and sent him away; the Vinkus wasn't his home anymore. So he said, "I'll be ready."

She nodded and left and the bodyguard glanced at Galinda, who was still anxiously biting her lip.

"I suppose that gives us most of the day to work out a strategy to lure out and catch our guy," he said and she smiled at him, the anguish fading from her blue eyes.

"I suppose." She took in his wolfish grin and frowned a little. "Do you have an idea?"

He nodded, still grinning.

"Am I going to like it?" she asked warily.

"Nope," he said, far too cheerful for her liking. "And Elphaba is going to like it even less."

Galinda sighed. "Oh, dear."

* * *

When Fiyero ran into Fawn and Xalo in the hallway, the little boy said, "Fiyero?"

"Yes?" he asked, stopping and turning around to face them. They were standing close together, as always, and Xalo had his arm around his sister protectively. It was a very sweet sight to behold, Fiyero thought, and it reminded him a little of his own childhood. He used to be that protective of his younger brother.

His younger brother, who would now take over their father's immensely successful company and inherit their parents' fortune. He'd be up for the job, Fiyero didn't doubt that. Honestly, it wasn't so much his parents he missed, or the future he was supposed to have, or even the money (all right, fine, he did miss the money a little). He did miss his brother, though. He missed playing together in their large mansion, sliding down the hallways on their socks and running around in the garden. He just missed that feeling that meant he was home. No place had felt like home since his parents had kicked him out and he missed that.

Swallowing away the lump in his throat, he looked at the twins. He was startled, however, when Fawn said quietly, "Thank you for staying here to protect Mum."

"Yeah," Xalo added. "We know you wanted to leave, but we're really glad you didn't."

Fiyero could only stare at them for a moment before shaking himself out of his stupor. "You're welcome," he said, still dumbfounded; and that only got worse when the two approached him and gave him a tentative hug.

He hugged them back, running his hands over their heads. "I'll protect your Mum," he promised them and two pairs of eyes settled on him. He looked into Xalo's specked brown ones, which were hopeful; and Fawn's green ones, equally hopeful but also slightly wary. He couldn't let them down. For whatever reason, these kids already didn't have a father anymore – he would be damned before he let something happen to their mother as well, regardless of how he felt about Elphaba personally. "I promise."

"Thank you," said Fawn quietly and he smiled at her.

"Fiyero," Xalo added as an afterthought. "Will you be at our birthday party this weekend, too?"

Fiyero grinned at the younger boy. "Sure, kiddo. I'll need to keep an eye on your mother, after all, right?" He winked at them and they grinned back at him happily before skipping off.

Only once they had run along did he groan and rub his forehead. He was letting his personal feelings get in the way of his job. Hadn't he told himself not that long ago that Elphaba was just another client? Why was he now making promises to her kids, then? He wasn't supposed to get sentimental. He never had before and he wouldn't start now. From now on, he would keep a professional distance with Elphaba and her family and that was it.

The thing he had to do now in order to try and find Elphaba's stalker, however, was definitely _not_ professional. He mentally braced himself for her reaction and then went in search of her.

He eventually found her in the library, once again curled up with a book. He wanted to tease her about being here reading instead of being at work, but swallowed the words, unsure if she would understand that he was joking. He didn't feel like getting into another fight with her. "Elphaba?"

She glanced up from the book and furrowed her brow. "Yes?"

"Will you go on a date with me?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide and unblinking as she took him in like he had suddenly grown an extra head.

"Not an actual date," he hurried to reassure her. "Just... a friendship date, I guess. It looks like we're going to be stuck with one another for a little while yet, with this threat going on, so I thought maybe it would be a nice idea to go out and get to know one another a bit better. Since most of our fights seem to be about us not knowing enough about the other, I mean."

Much to his surprise, Elphaba actually started nodding slowly. "I guess that might not be such a bad idea," she conceded. "All right, then."

"Drinks at _Square One_?" Fiyero asked, referring to a café a couple of blocks away from the Palace. "Tonight?"

She nodded again, a little faster this time. "Sure," she agreed. "But just a friendship date, right? Nothing more?"

"Nothing more," he promised. He wasn't looking for anything like that – especially not with Elphaba. She'd probably eat him alive, anyway, if he tried anything with her... or at the very least hex him. Not that he wanted to. Did he? He hadn't really thought about it. He'd been too busy disliking her, mostly. And besides, it was forbidden, too – hitting it off with a client would give him a bad reputation and that was the last thing he needed. His reputation was bad enough as it was and his work was about the only thing he had left now.

"All right," Elphaba said, her voice pulling him back to the present. "I'll go with you tonight." She put her book away and rose to her feet. "I have to go now, though. I should get ready for that meeting with the Vinkun representative."

He nodded and watched her leave, following not long afterwards. He had no business being in a library, after all.

He returned to his own room and brought his laptop with him to the living room, which was basically just one of multiple sitting rooms in the building, but the only one consistently – and only – used by Oscar, Elphaba, the twins, and any personal visitors of theirs. Fiyero had graciously been allowed access to it and he felt more like seeking out some company than working in his office all by himself. It was a comfortable room, modern yet cosy, decorated in black, white, and different shades of red and grey. Fiyero liked it. It was so very different from the classic interior of the place where he'd grown up, but it had the same homey feel to it.

The twins were both lying on their stomachs in front of the television, each holding a controller as they played a video game on the big flatscreen. Fiyero chuckled when he saw them and set up his laptop on the small table by the window. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Fiyero," they chirped in unison, followed closely by an indignant cry from Fawn. "Hey! That's cheating!"

"Is not!" Xalo retorted. "You're just a bad loser!"

Fawn poked her brother in the side with her foot.

Xalo stuck out his tongue at her. "Girls can't race, anyway."

Fawn flushed at that, her emerald green face growing a faint shade of purple, and she returned to the game with renewed resolve. Minutes later, Fiyero heard a triumphant cry from her direction. "I beat you!"

He glanced up from his laptop. Fawn was doing a little dance of victory and Xalo was watching her sullenly, pushing the controller aside. "I don't want to play anymore."

"Fine," said Fawn, giggling. "Fiyero, do you want to play?"

The bodyguard blinked, but then grinned. "Sure."

He sat down on the couch in front of the TV and listened attentively as Fawn explained the game to him. She really was a lot like her mother in the way she behaved, he noted. He studied both her and Xalo and mentally compared them to Elphaba, trying to create a picture in his head of what their father would look like. Elphaba's hair was black and straight and the twins' was dark brown and wavy, so he supposed their father must have brown and wavy hair, too. Fawn mostly had her mother's facial features – the high cheekbones, sharp nose and jaw, and large eyes – but Xalo's face was rounder and his nose shaped differently. The brown in Xalo's eyes came from Elphaba, but the streaks of green as well as the full green colour of Fawn's eyes must be their father's as well. Piecing the puzzle together, he imagined a handsome man with strong facial features, brown hair, and green eyes, probably taller than Elphaba was and sturdier, given Xalo's posture.

"Hey," he said, suddenly curious. "Do you guys actually know who your dad is?"

Xalo and Fawn exchanged a cautious look. "No," Fawn replied, fidgeting with the controller in her hands. "Mum never told us."

"We only know that she never told him we existed, because he didn't really care about her," Xalo added. "He's a jerk."

"Xalo!" Fawn scolded him. "You can't say such words!"

Fiyero grinned. "It's fine, Fawn, don't worry. I say bad words all the time."

Xalo's face lit up. "Really?"

Realising he had made a mistake – encouraging kids to use bad words would hardly be considered good parenting and he was afraid Elphaba might find out and punish him for it later – Fiyero quickly moved on. "You don't know anything about him?"

"Only that he's a jerk," Xalo said immediately, clearly proud of his newly-approved vocabulary. "And that he and Mum weren't together for very long. She was still really young."

"How old was she?" Fiyero asked in interest.

Fawn considered that and then replied, "Seventeen, I think."

Fiyero was shocked. Elphaba had fallen pregnant at seventeen?! He couldn't imagine the woman he had come to know making such a choice – but then again, he didn't presume it had been a conscious choice on her part. He couldn't imagine her as an insecure teenager, either, however, even though Galinda had revealed to him before that Elphaba had been taken advantage of by the twins' father. He did some quick math, knowing the twins would turn nine years old that weekend, and he realised Elphaba must only be twenty-six now. Twenty-six years old and she'd made it to deputy mayor of the Emerald City with two eight-year-old children. He suddenly felt a rush of admiration for her, followed by a rush of shame for himself. Twenty-eight and he hadn't actually achieved anything, other than becoming estranged from his parents and breaking hearts all over Oz.

Maybe, he decided, he should try to make more of an effort with Elphaba. She obviously hadn't had an easy life, so he supposed it made sense that she would be wary of him. It would be beneficial for her safety as well if they got along and she wouldn't mind his presence so much anymore. He'd just go on that friendship date with her tonight, perhaps they'd even have a good time; and with a bit of luck, this date's actual purpose would be achieved as well and Fiyero would find out who was sending Elphaba those letters.

* * *

 **Next chapter will have a lot of back story. :)**


	9. Personal

**Back story time!**

 **Personally (look at this chapter's title. OMG, I'm so punny), I really like this chapter.**

 **Any favourite lines of yours?**

* * *

 **9\. Personal**

"Okay, okay," Elphaba said, laughing as she nursed her fourth (fifth? Fiyero had lost count) glass of Munchkin white. "Now you. What's your most embarrassing moment?"

"That's easy," Fiyero said confidently, taking another sip of his beer. "I've had a lot of those. Especially with girls, you know – calling them by the wrong name, things like that. Oh, I know! One time when I was studying somewhere in the Glikkus, I woke up in the morning after a wild night and there was a _guy_ sleeping next to me. I swear, I nearly died."

Elphaba doubled over, giggling. "What happened?"

"Mixed dorms," Fiyero said with a shrug. "The girl I'd gone home with had a male roommate." He thought for a moment. "Other than that... lots of other embarrassing things happened to me, but none of them funny. You know – disgracing my parents, ruining my father's business reputation, all that crap."

Elphaba nodded thoughtfully. "Same here. Between my skin and my father, I've had lots of embarrassing moments, but none of them really funny for anyone involved. I think the one that tops it all is actually my relationship with Avaric," she admitted and Fiyero perked up in interest.

"Avaric?"

She laughed mirthlessly and lifted her glass to her lips again, taking a few big gulps, presumably for courage. "I don't want to talk about him," she said finally.

"Come on," Fiyero whined. "This is a friendship date. We can hardly be friends if we refuse to share anything personal with one another."

"You go first, then," she said, raising her glass again to motion in his direction. "Something personal."

"Like what?"

"Like the real reason your father disowned you and kicked you out of the house," she said. She was definitely tipsy, but she was still surprisingly sharp, Fiyero noticed.

He sighed, looking down into his glass as he swirled his beer around. "Fine," he muttered. "Well... most of what you heard about my behaviour is true. About the girls, and the going out, and the drinking – the flunking out of universities... It was a lot of responsibility, you know? Having to take over the bank when I grew up. The fact that my parents didn't really give me a choice in the matter certainly didn't help, so I started rebelling when I was a teenager – probably about sixteen, I think, and it only got worse over the years. I partied, I flirted, I had fun, and I didn't do anything that seemed boring to me, such as actually studying and getting my degree. By the time I was twenty-three, my dad had already threatened a couple of times that he'd kick me out of the house if I kept going like this and my mother agreed."

Elphaba stared at him. "Your mother agreed that you should be kicked out?"

He sighed. "Listen, Elphaba… my parents weren't exactly the most affectionate people around," he conceded. "They were nice enough, don't get me wrong. My brother and I had a good childhood, but it was a little empty. We were rich and we had everything we could dream of, except for our parents' attention. They were always busy with one thing or another and they've always been a little obsessed with image and reputation. I didn't fit into that picture." He shrugged. "Then I got kicked out of my sixth university and pissed off the daughter of some important business partner of my dad's by sleeping with her and then not calling her again..."

"Wait." Elphaba held up her hands. "The part about you sleeping with all those girls and then dumping them is also true, then? Please tell me you at least used protection."

He could see the fire in her eyes at that question, feel the tension behind it, and he realised why. If she'd really been taken advantage of by some man as a teenager and it had produced the twins, then this was a personal matter to her. Luckily, he was fairly certain his reply would _not_ incur her wrath for once. "Always," he assured her. "Believe me, the last thing I wanted as a careless playboy was a girl showing up on my doorstep with a baby."

She scrutinised him and then nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. "So you did that to the daughter of your father's business partner?"

"The business partner got mad at my father on behalf of his daughter and broke off their deal, so then my father got furious with me. There was a lot of shouting going on, my mum got involved, and finally Dad yelled at me to get my things and leave, because he was completely fed up with me, and then I packed a bag and left." Fiyero emptied his glass of beer and gestured for the bartender to get him another one. "I went back once to try and talk to them, but they refused to let me in. I left the Vinkus and fooled around for a while before I started running out of money and had to find a job. Somehow I ended up being someone's bodyguard for a while and I've done that ever since, for nearly four years by now."

"Wow," Elphaba muttered into her glass as the bartender brought a full glass of beer for Fiyero. "I guess I'm not the only one with an asshole for a father, huh? Or, well, not biological father," she corrected herself, flushing a little. "Oscar is great. But... the one who raised me. Frexspar."

"I know," Fiyero said with a small laugh. "Xalo told me about the 'Big, Bad Bully'."

Elphaba grinned at him and took another sip of wine. "Yeah. Frex never did like me, from the moment I was born, because of my skin colour," she confessed. "He made my mother chew milk flowers when she was pregnant with Nessa, my younger sister, in an attempt to keep her from being born like me. Milk flowers were only used as experimental treatment for birth defects at the time – they can't be obtained anywhere anymore now because those experiments produced some horrifying results. My mother was one of those bad results. Because of those milk flowers, she passed away in childbirth and Nessa was born crippled. Frex blamed it on me." She got a sad, faraway look in her eyes for a moment. "He didn't hurt me, or anything," she said, "but he basically ignored me whenever he could. Sometimes, when I'd done something to anger him or he just didn't want me around, he locked me in my mother's old walk-in closet for hours. I think he hated me from the day I was born, but it got worse after my mother's death. I've taken care of Nessa since I was a little girl myself, to try and make up for the way she'd turned out because of me, but it was never enough for Frex."

The alcohol was loosening her tongue and Fiyero handily made use of that, wanting to finally hear the whole story about this mysterious woman. "Wait. 'Make up for the way she'd turned out because of me'?" he echoed incredulously. "You do realise your sister's disability wasn't your fault, right?"

She shrugged, leaning her arms on the table and resting her chin on top of them. "Frex always said it was," she said miserably. "And if I hadn't been born green, none of it would have happened."

Fiyero touched her shoulder. "Don't think that. That's not true. And even if it was, that still doesn't make it your fault."

She shrugged again listlessly, and he tried to move on to happier topics. "How did you find out about Oscar?" He already knew part of this story, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Oh," she said, twisting her head a little so her cheek was pressed against the back of her hand. "I never knew Frex wasn't my real father when Nessa and I grew up, but we all went to the Emerald City for the summer when I was a teenager. Frex was doing some business there and Nessa wanted to see the City, so we did a lot of sightseeing as well. Frex liked to take Nessa out, but always left me at the hotel, so I took to exploring on my own."

Fiyero tried to hide his horror at the idea of a father favouring one child over the other to the point where he'd actually ignore his eldest daughter, treat her like filth, and leave her out of trips he made with his other child, just because she had been born with a differently-coloured skin.

Elphaba raised her head from her arms. "That's when I met Avaric." The corner of her mouth twitched. "Now there's an asshole if ever there was one. And now you got me to talk about him after all." She sighed bitterly. "Oh, well. Might as well. It was a long time ago, anyway, and I probably won't remember this in the morning. Not after two more glasses of wine, anyway." She squinted at her glass, which was nearly empty, and quickly downed the rest of the wine before gesturing to the bartender for a re-fill.

"Who is he?" Fiyero asked, probing a little.

She sighed again. "I was out on my own in the City and I ran into him at some point," she said. "He was handsome, all tanned skin and dark green eyes, and he was interesting – he was in the military, just like Duran. He said he did secret missions no-one else could know about, which was probably a bit of a stretch, but still. He seemed nice. He offered to buy me a drink, spent time with me, tried to get to know me... I was insecure back then," she admitted. "I'd never had any friends or any affection from anyone, really, aside from Nessa, and Avaric seemed like the nicest guy in the world for not being mean to me about my skin, even though he must have been at least ten years older than I was. We talked, and he asked me out, and I decided to risk my father's wrath for a night out with Avaric. He took me out for dinner, then drinks, then asked me to come to his place, but I said no." She snorted. "I knew _that_ much, at least. Avaric didn't seem put out, though. He asked to see me again the next day and I agreed."

The bartender brought her a new glass of wine and she took it gratefully.

Fiyero was frowning. "But if you didn't go with him..."

She smirked slightly. "Not _that_ time, I didn't."

He grimaced. "Oh."

"Frex was furious when I got home, of course," she continued. "We got into a fight the next day when I wanted to leave to see Avaric again and then... well, that night when Avaric asked me to his place again, I went with him. I don't even know why. To spite Frex, or because it just felt so good to finally have someone who cared... when he started fiddling with my clothes and I came to my senses, I tried to back out, but Avaric wouldn't have any of that. He pressed on, I gave up because I thought I deserved it – both for going with him and for being… well, who I was… and that's how the twins were conceived." She huffed another mirthless laugh. "Jackass. I never saw him again after that."

"Yeesh, Elphaba..." Fiyero shook his head, mildly shocked. "That's horrible. I'm sorry."

She waved him away. "It brought me Fawn and Xalo," she said. "And I wouldn't trade them for anything. I found out I was pregnant about six weeks later, not long before we were supposed to return to Munchkinland, and... well, Frex told me I wouldn't be going back and not to bother trying to contact him or Nessa. That's how I ended up in the City by myself. At least Frex still had the decency to throw my luggage out after me, so I had my things and a bit of money, but that was it. He'd always been looking for an excuse to ditch me and now he had it." She drank some more wine. "I looked for a job then. Worked as a waitress for a while, then cleaned rooms at a hotel. Just when my pregnancy was advancing to the point where I thought I wouldn't be able to work anymore, Oscar tracked me down, told me the truth about my parentage, and invited me to live with him. The rest is history, I guess."

Now, finally, Fiyero knew her entire story. He heaved a deep sigh. "Wow."

She chuckled. "I know. It sounds like a story straight from a bad drama movie, right?"

"A little," he admitted. "I had no idea you'd been through so much, though."

She scoffed. "Everything I've achieved, I've done by myself," she said a little sourly. "Of course I had some luck with Oscar, but I worked hard for my study, my job, and my children. I fought to get where I am now. I'm not a victim, Yero." The nickname seemed to slip out without her even noticing. "I'm the deputy mayor." She giggled, sipping her wine again. "The deputy mayor, who probably shouldn't be getting drunk in a public place where the whole City can see her. Especially not on a Monday night. Maybe we should go back."

"No!" Fiyero protested. "Not yet! I'm having too much fun!" He playfully poked her leg under the table with his foot. "You know? You look really pretty."

She did. She'd dressed up a little for her meeting with the Vinkun representative that afternoon and she hadn't changed her hair or make-up since then. She wore her hair up, with some loose tendrils of it framing her face. She was wearing black eyeliner and mascara, emphasising her large, chocolate brown eyes and making them look even larger. She also wore dark red lipstick, which looked surprisingly good with her green skin. She _had_ changed her clothes, exchanging her stiff and formal skirt and jacket for a pair of blue jeans combined with a dark blue tank top and black cardigan and boots. She looked much more casual than he'd ever seen her and she was more relaxed, too – and not just because of the alcohol.

"Thanks," she said, clearly not believing him. She nudged him back. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He grinned goofily at her. "Looking like that, it's no wonder you're being stalked."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"Oh." His eyes grew wide and he mentally kicked himself. "I just mean... you said you thought someone had been following you around lately, right? That's why I'm here, after all," he tried to cover up his slip-up. "It's probably some secret admirer." And that, he thought, was probably closer to the truth than she knew.

She laughed sceptically. "Yeah, right." Another sip of wine. "Do you miss your parents?"

He thought about that for a moment, but then shook his head. "No," he said. "Not them. I miss my childhood home, mainly because of all the good memories there, and I miss my brother – the way he used to be, anyway. I haven't spoken to him since I got kicked out; my father managed to turn him into a money- and reputation-obsessed ass, a little carbon copy of the great Jorge Tiggular himself. I miss the way things used to be, in a way, but no. I don't miss my parents. Honestly, I think we're better off without one another, anyway."

"I know what you mean." She smiled sadly. "I don't miss Munchkinland – there are more bad memories for me there than good ones – and I certainly don't miss Frex, but I do wish I could see Nessa more often. Frex is trying his hardest to keep us apart. Of course we can call, and video-chat; but he hardly ever allows her to travel to the City to see me and he certainly doesn't allow _me_ to come to his house to see Nessa. Talking to her over the phone just isn't the same as seeing her in real life, you know?"

Fiyero nodded. "I understand." He emptied his glass again and put it down. "So, Elba– I mean, Phae– wait," he said, stumbling over her name. He frowned, even as Elphaba burst into giggles. "That's not right. Oz, I should probably stop drinking right about now," he muttered, pushing his empty glass away. " _Elphaba_."

"I like 'Phae'," she teased him and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Fine, Fae," he said, grinning. "Tell me more. I'm curious. I know about your father now, and Nessa, and Oscar, and the mysterious Avaric; but there's so much more to know. How did you meet Galinda, for example?"

And so she told him how Oscar had paid for her and the twins' stay at an apartment in Shiz, so she could go to university there after she'd lived with him in the City for a year; how she had met Galinda in class and the two had loathed one another at first, but they had been forced to work together on an assignment and they had somehow grown closer after that and become friends. She also told him more about how much she missed Nessa, whom she had reached out to at some point after the twins were born despite Frex's warnings. Nessa had talked Frex into allowing his youngest daughter to be in touch with her sister, but he tried to limit their contact as much as possible, which obviously hurt Elphaba more than she was even now willing to let on.

She told him more about the twins as well. She'd raised them herself, with Oscar, Galinda, and Cohvu's help, and she'd always been adamant to keep them out of the picture as much as she could. She'd done a great job at that; not many people even knew she had kids. They'd been home-schooled by Cohvu from the start and although they had hobbies and went on playdates, they hardly ever accompanied Elphaba when she made an appearance in public in her function as deputy mayor. They were fine with that, too. They liked being relatively normal. Elphaba confessed she'd been afraid other kids would give Fawn a hard time because of her skin colour, but the little green girl hadn't encountered any trouble so far – probably, as Elphaba concluded, because people in the Emerald City were so much more open-minded than her own environment in Munchkinland had been.

In return, Fiyero tried to make her laugh with anecdotes about the things he'd encountered working as a private bodyguard and he told her about some of the pranks he and his brother had pulled as children. Soon Elphaba had collapsed in giggles again and Fiyero could only grin at the way she was behaving. He decided he definitely liked an intoxicated Elphaba better than a sober one.

They went home not too long after that and again, Fiyero kept an eye out for the stranger following Elphaba. The young witch could barely walk straight and she didn't protest when Fiyero slid his arm around her waist to steady her; instead, she leaned against him, letting her head drop against his shoulder. "You smell good," she mumbled. "Underneath the beer smell, I mean."

He chuckled, keeping a close eye on his surroundings. This was good – Elphaba allowing him to touch her like this. If her stalker saw the two of them together now, he'd undoubtedly get jealous and maybe try something rash again. Fiyero was hoping the guy would try to beat _him_ up, like he had beaten up Duran a few days prior, so that the bodyguard could identify this stalker and hopefully get him arrested, too.

"You don't seem that drunk," Elphaba observed, slurring slightly.

"I'm not," Fiyero said, tightening his grip on her as she threatened to fall. "I can hold my liquor and I know how far I can go. I'm still here to protect you, remember? I can't go around getting drunk when I'm on a job."

"Mmh." Elphaba yawned. "I'm tired."

"We're almost there."

The gates to the Palace loomed in front of them and Fiyero inwardly sighed, thinking that Elphaba's stalker might not have been there to see them after all. Elphaba pushed herself away from him a little, protesting that she could walk by herself just fine, and Fiyero rolled his eyes and let her, watching her closely. So closely, in fact, that he didn't see the man in black creeping up behind him until he suddenly felt an arm coming around him, followed by a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down just in time to see a flash of metal and he gasped when the person twisted the knife around. Then the knife was yanked back and blood came pouring out of the wound in his stomach.

"Shit," he swore, muttering a string of curses as he twisted around, barely catching sight of the culprit disappearing in the shadows. He was dimly aware of Elphaba wrapping her arms around him to hold him up, urgently saying something into his ear, but he couldn't hear what. His knees buckled and Elphaba tried to lower him gently to the ground, shouting for help; he could hear the pounding footsteps of the men guarding the gate to the Palace as they came running up to the pair. Then everything went black.

* * *

 **I bet you didn't see that coming, huh?**

 **BOW BEFORE YOUR QUEEN OF CLIFFIES! MUAHAHAHAHA!**


	10. Confession

**I love it when you guys all start yelling at me in Caps Lock. I've missed that. Maybe I should start writing more cliffies again.**

* * *

 **10\. Confession**

Fiyero awoke with a faint pain in his abdomen and a splitting headache. He groaned, bringing one hand up to his head, and slowly opened his eyes. He was assaulted by bright light and he quickly squeezed his eyes shut again, moaning pathetically. Being hung-over always sucked, he thought wryly, but being hung-over and recovering from a stab wound was much, much worse.

"Fiyero?" someone asked.

He groaned again.

"Is he awake?"

"I don't know. Hey... Fiyero? Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "Can someone turn off the light?"

There were some giggles. "That's not the light, silly. It's the sun. I'll close the curtains." There was the sound of light footsteps and he heard the curtains being drawn shut. He carefully tried to open his eyes again and found that it was easier this time. Xalo was standing at the foot of his bed, watching him closely. Fawn just came padding back from the window and grinned at him with a hint of relief in her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "It's past noon already, but Mum said we should let you sleep because you needed to rest a lot to heal. Is it true that you were stabbed?"

"Yes," Fiyero grunted and Xalo sucked in his breath, eyes wide.

"That is so cool!"

The bodyguard grimaced. "Not if you're the one being stabbed, it's not."

Fawn poked her brother in the side. "Of course it's not cool," she scolded him. "Stabbing hurts, you know. It's not like in the movies, where the hero just gets up again with blood pouring from his stab wounds and then takes down the bad guy before walking away with some pretty lady like nothing even happened."

"Oh," said Xalo, sounding disappointed.

Fiyero squinted at them both. "What kind of movies does your mother let you watch?" he demanded.

"Oh, Mum would never let us watch action movies," Xalo assured him. "Grandpa does, though, when Mum is working. Don't tell her."

"Your secret is safe with me." Fiyero sighed. It was weird, though – he'd felt the knife twist in his guts, but the pain he was feeling now didn't seem to accurately reflect the pain he _should_ be feeling after getting such an injury. How strong was the pain medication they'd given him? "Is there a doctor around, or something? Could one of you please get him? Or else your mother?"

"Mum is sleeping," Fawn informed him. "She always gets tired after using magic, especially to this extent. She was exhausted. She'll probably sleep for another while yet – Auntie Galinda cancelled all Mum's appointments for the day. There's no doctor, either. You didn't need one after Mum was finished with you."

Only now did Fiyero realise that he was in his own room in the Palace, not in any kind of hospital, and he frowned. "What did she do to me, then?"

"She healed you, silly," said Xalo. "Grandpa says you would have been dead if she hadn't done that. The knife hit your... your..." He scrunched up his nose. "I don't know. Some important vein or something."

"Artery," Fawn told her brother before turning to Fiyero. "It cut an _artery_. Mum caught you when you fell and she healed you right away, otherwise you'd have bled to death. I heard Grandpa say that." She crossed her arms with a scowl. "I thought youwere supposed to be saving _her_ , not the other way around," she said accusingly.

"Maybe he caught the knife for Mum," Xalo suggested, looking excited at the thought. "You know, someone tried to attack Mum and Fiyero jumped in front of her, risking his life to save hers. That'd be awesome."

"And romantic," Fawn added, her eyes lighting up.

Fiyero closed his eyes for a moment. "It wasn't like that," he muttered. "I did try to protect your mum, but I was so focused on her that I didn't even see this guy coming."

"That's still romantic," Fawn observed. Xalo made gagging noises and his sister added, "But that also still means you were protecting her, right? You said you were watching her. So if this guy had come after her, you'd have seen him, right?"

Fiyero had to admit that that was probably true and Fawn and Xalo nodded in satisfaction.

"We'll leave you to rest now," said Xalo, tugging Fawn along. "You have to be better for our birthday party on Saturday, after all. Are you hungry? We could get you some lunch. And we'll tell Grandpa and Auntie Galinda you're awake."

"Yes, please," Fiyero croaked and the twins disappeared with a little wave, leaving him lying alone in his bed, dumbfounded. An artery. He would have been _dead_ if Elphaba hadn't saved him with those creepy magical powers of hers. It was hard to believe, but he knew it had to be true – he'd felt the knife and he'd known even as he fell that it had done more damage than could probably be repaired in surgery. There had been so much blood... and yet now all that remained was a faint stab of pain every now and then. He lifted the blankets and peered down, realising he was only wearing his boxers. He could see a jagged wound on his abdomen, but it looked to be in an advanced stage of healing already.

He dropped the blanket again and closed his eyes, his head spinning. Unbelievable.

* * *

Fawn and Xalo's story was confirmed by Galinda when she came to bring him his lunch. She giggled upon realising how little he was wearing, but sobered when he asked her about what had happened and told him the same thing the twins had told him not long before. He ate something and Galinda urged him to rest, promising him that she and Oscar would occasionally check up on him, and then she left again. He fell asleep and didn't wake up until it was dark outside.

Testing his own body, he tried to sit up and then slowly inched out of bed, which proved to be not nearly as difficult as he'd thought it would be. He quickly pulled on a pair of jogging trousers and a sweater and ran a comb through his hair and a toothbrush over his teeth before making his way out of the room in search of the dining room. He was starving again.

When he arrived there, it was to find Oscar and Elphaba talking in hushed voices over cups of coffee and he greeted them with a sleepy, "Hi. What did I miss?"

Elphaba's head shot up and she studied him closely for a moment before apparently determining he was all right. "How are you feeling?" she asked as he sat down next to her and Oscar got up to find the bodyguard some food.

"Not nearly as bad as I should be feeling," Fiyero replied, boring his eyes into Elphaba's. She blushed a little and looked away, biting her lip, but he pressed on. "Did you really save my life?"

She sighed irritably. "Fiyero, if someone was stabbed right next to you and you knew he would die if you didn't save him with your magical healing powers, wouldn't you have done the same thing?" she asked rhetorically.

"I guess." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks, though."

She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome."

"Where does that come from, anyway?" he asked curiously. "The magic, I mean."

She shrugged. "I've always had it," she replied. "Ever since I can remember. I used to cause these little outbursts when I was little, every time I got emotional, but I learned how to control it when I took lessons at Shiz University. I have a minor in Sorcery," she reminded him.

He nodded, his interest piqued. "Are there any limits to what you can do?"

She laughed. "It's not like I could bring world peace or make disease disappear, Fiyero," she said in amusement. "I have to use spells to channel the magic – unless the magic is caused by an emotional outburst, in which case it just flies out of control. Generally, I can do all kinds of relatively little things – heal wounds, manipulate water to some extent, enchant objects to levitate, defend myself with magical blasts – but nothing awfully big."

"I'd say saving a man's life after his artery has been cut with a knife is a pretty big thing," Fiyero pointed out and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Healing is healing, though," she said dismissively. "It doesn't really matter if it's a scrape or a stab wound. I can't cure illnesses, but I can heal injuries if I tend to them fast enough. If I hadn't been there and you'd been brought to me a few minutes later, I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"But you did," he argued again. "That's still pretty damned special."

She just shrugged. He could tell she was a little awkward around him now – probably partly because of the fact that she'd saved his life and partly because of all the personal things she'd shared with him the night before in her tipsy state. He wondered if she regretted it. He certainly didn't; he was glad to know all those things about her. It explained a lot about her behaviour now and the way she could react sometimes.

Her soft voice broke through his thoughts. "What's going on, Fiyero?" She looked apprehensive, almost scared, and Fiyero was suddenly struck by the similarities between her and Fawn. "Why would anyone stab you?"

He took a deep breath, but just then, Oscar came back into the room and smiled at Fiyero. "Dinner is on the way," he promised as he sat back down. "What were we talking about?"

"Who did this to Fiyero and why," said Elphaba, her eyes still on Fiyero.

Fiyero, in turn, looked at Oscar, who furrowed his brow in thought and then sighed, relenting. He, like Fiyero, probably realised there wasn't another choice now. They could lie, but she'd find out eventually, anyway.

"Elphaba," the mayor said, causing the green woman's head to whip around to face him. "There's something we need to tell you."

He told her about the letters – not their exact content; just that this person seemed to be obsessed and in love with her, not wanting to see her with other men – and that this was probably also the man who had been following her around lately. He confessed that that was also why he and Galinda had hired Fiyero in the first place.

Elphaba just sat there for a while, staring off into the distance, clearly lost in thought as she processed this new information. Then she asked flatly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We didn't want to worry you," said Oscar. "We weren't even sure there was a real reason for worrying – not until much later, anyway. And we were afraid... well..."

Elphaba sighed, rubbing her forehead. "You were afraid it would remind me of Avaric."

Oscar glanced to Fiyero in alarm and his daughter said tiredly, "Don't bother. He knows. I told him last night after a glass of wine too many – or four, probably." She heaved another sigh. "For Oz's sake, Dad, you should have told me."

"Probably," Oscar agreed. He looked much older than he normally did, Fiyero noted. His hair seemed greyer and his eyes more tired than usual behind his glasses. "I'm sorry, Elphaba."

"It's okay," she muttered. She, too, looked weary. "I understand why you did it. Both you and Galinda." She looked at Fiyero. "But now I want you to tell me everything."

He nodded and told her his theory about her stalker beating up Duran out of jealousy. "I asked you on that date to try and lure him out," he explained. "I was hoping he'd come after meonce he'd see us together and I'd get a chance to find out his identity and maybe overpower him. I wasn't expecting _this_ or I wouldn't have done it."

"I certainly hope not," said Elphaba, giving him a stern look, and he grinned at her before sobering again.

"You didn't see who it was, either, then?" he asked hopefully and she scowled.

"All I know is that one moment, I'm walking towards the gate and the next, I hear you cry out and I turn around to find you bleeding all over the place. I saw someone in dark clothes run off, but that's all. I was a little too busy saving your life to pay much attention to anything else. Didn't _you_ see him?"

"I would have, but I was a little too busy bleeding all over the place," he said and she rolled her eyes at him, but he saw the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

* * *

"That wasn't the only reason I asked you on that date, by the way," Fiyero told her after he'd eaten and she walked him back to his room. Oscar had returned to his own office to get some more work done and Elphaba intended to go back to work as well, but she didn't want him to return to his room by himself. "I did mean all those things about wanting to get to know you and stuff."

She smiled. "I know."

"Good." He playfully nudged her hip with his. " _Fae_."

That made her chortle and he said cheerfully, "You do realise I'm going to call you that from now on, right?"

"I'm looking forward to it," she said with just a hint of sarcasm.

She made to walk past the lifts and the staircase to the wing where his room was, but he stopped her. "I want to drop by Galinda's office first."

Elphaba looked at him and he clarified, "I think she might have gotten another letter for you by now."

Understanding dawned in her eyes and she nodded, heading for the staircase. He called anxiously, "Um, Fae?"

She glanced over her shoulder and he waved at himself. "I got stabbed yesterday? I know you did a great job healing me, and everything, but I think the lift would be a better idea than the stairs right now."

"Then take the lift," she said, starting to walk down the stairs. "I'll see you in about ten seconds."

He scowled at her back. "What if I keel over and die in those ten seconds?"

"You're fine, Yero. Take the lift. I won't stand around waiting for you all day."

He pressed the button, watching her retreating back with suspicions forming in his mind, but he didn't mention any of them to her. Together, they walked to Galinda's office and Elphaba knocked on the closed door. "Glin?"

"Come in!" the blonde called and her friend pushed the door open – leaving it open, Fiyero noticed, as they both went inside.

Fiyero cut straight to the chase. "Have you received another letter?"

Galinda's eyes widened, but Elphaba said, "I know about the letters. Oscar and Fiyero just told me."

Galinda bit her lip, but then seemed to deflate. "I'm sorry for keeping that from you, Elphie," she apologised. "We didn't want to worry you, but I suppose after what happened yesterday, we couldn't continue to hide it from you."

"No, you couldn't," Elphaba agreed. "So is there another letter?"

The blonde woman nodded reluctantly. "Yes." She pulled it from her desk drawer. Elphaba held out her hand, but Galinda handed the letter to Fiyero instead, ignoring her employer's scowl.

Fiyero quickly skimmed over the note. It was short, to the point, and sent chills down his spine.

 _You disobeyed me. Now your boyfriend paid the price._

 _Don't make me angry, Elphaba._

"That's it," Fiyero declared, even as Elphaba snatched the letter from his hand to read it for herself. "We need to do something. This time it was me, but next time, it could be anyone. We can't take that risk."

"But what could we do?" Galinda demanded. "If we knew who it was, we would have done something already, Fiyero!"

"I don't know." He started pacing. "But something has to happen. It's my job to protect Elphaba and right now, she's anything but safe. Maybe we should get her out of here for a while, to some different place... at the very least she'll need more security. She's important – not just to the City or to Oz, but also to you and Oscar and the twins. We can't let anything happen to her." He turned to look at the dark-haired witch in question, who was looking a paler shade of green than usual, the blood drained from her face. She was still holding the letter and he could see her hand trembling. "Fae?" he asked gently. "You okay?"

"No," she said, handing the letter back to Galinda and leaning against the wall heavily. "Fiyero... they already don't have a father," she said softly, almost pleadingly. "This can't go on. I don't care what happens, but I can't leave the twins without a mother, too."

"Whoa," he said, taken aback by the fear in her eyes. "No-one is going to die here, Fae. Yeesh. I won't let that happen and besides, this guy doesn't seem to want to kill you." Yet, but he didn't say that aloud. "We'll figure this out."

"How?" she said miserably. "We don't know who this is. It could be anyone, really – I'm a public figure in all of Oz, partly thanks to my job and parentage and partly because of my skin, so anyone could have seen me speech somewhere and fancied himself in love with me. It's like you and Glin just said – what can we really do?"

If he were honest with himself, Fiyero had to admit he didn't really know that, either. He wasn't going to tell her that, though. He was determined to keep her safe somehow and so he would, one way or another.


	11. Calls

**If you follow me on Twitter, you already know my update's a little late because I had my first official day of work last night, so I was home late. It's here now, though, and the next update will probably just be tomorrow evening again (although I'm not sure what time I get home tomorrow, so that one might also be postponed until Sunday morning).**

 **In any case, thanks for all your reviews and special kudos to Indy's Green Hat for being the 100th reviewer! I hope you all like this chapter. I know I do. :)**

* * *

 **11\. Calls**

"Fabala, I'm scared," said Nessarose through the phone, her voice trembling a little. "What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Nessie." Elphaba clutched the phone between her ear and shoulder and typed something on her laptop. "It'll be fine. Please don't worry about me. Maybe I shouldn't have told you at all."

"Of course you should have," the younger girl argued. "I want to know when you're in danger. You'll keep me posted, right? Tell me if anything else happens. And get enough rest," she added. "I know you and I know how exhausted you get after using your magic. You did an awful lot of it now. I also know you probably didn't get enough sleep to catch up on that loss of energy."

Elphaba smiled, even though her sister obviously couldn't see that. "I slept in yesterday."

"And how much sleep did you get last night?" Nessa asked pointedly.

The green girl grimaced and heaved a sigh. "Six hours?" she guessed. "That's a lot for me already, you know. I had a lot on my mind, Ness."

"Uh-uh." Nessa sounded amused and exasperated at the same time. "Take a nap this afternoon, Fabala. I can't even imagine how much sleep you'll need to replenish the energy you lost by doing magic of this calibre. Saving someone's life... I remember you needing four-hour naps after healing a scraped knee when you were younger. I know you're stronger now, but still. Please take care of yourself," she beseeched her sister. "And not just in the physical sense. Don't you think it would be a better idea if you came to Munchkinland for a while? Get away from the threat? We have plenty of room, you know that. Even though the house isn't that big, it'd be easy to house you and the twins for a while. Even Oscar and Galinda, if they want to come as well – and Fiyero, too. You could always share rooms."

"And then what?" Elphaba asked logically. "Either my stalker will follow me there or he'll wait for me to get back and strike again then. My going to Munchkinland wouldn't solve anything. Besides, Frex would never let me stay with you," she added, smirking a little. "The odds of casualties would be greater if you put Frex and me in the same house than they would be if I stayed here with a stalker on the loose."

"That's not funny," said Nessa, but Elphaba could hear her suppress a giggle. Nessa had had a difficult time accepting her father and sister's terrible relationship for a long time, but she'd come to terms with it now and understood that there was no love lost between them. "It'd make me feel better. Father will be going away to Quadling Country for ten days next week – you could come then."

Elphaba frowned at the email showing up on her laptop screen. "I'll think about it," she said into the phone. "Don't count on it, though. I'd like to have this situation resolved first before I endanger you as well. It's bad enough that the twins could get caught in the middle."

"You could bring them here," Nessa suggested. "They can stay with me, at least, if you refuse to. They'll be safe and well away from the City... and I'd love to actually see them for their birthday, rather than just video-chat with them."

"Maybe," Elphaba said, unconvinced. "I'll give it some more thought. Listen, Ness, I've got to go now. Some idiot just emailed me about my speech at that charity gala in City Hall next week and there are some problems I need to figure out. I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Okay," said Nessa, sounding a little disappointed.

Elphaba sighed. "I'm sorry. I know we hardly ever speak anymore, let alone see each other..."

"I understand, Fabala," said Nessa. "I do. But yes, I wish we'd see one another a little more often. You're always so busy, and then there's Father... I miss you and the twins," she admitted. "That's also part of the reason why I'd love for you to come out when Father is gone next week."

"I promise you I'll think about it."

"Thank you. Stay safe, all right? I love you."

"Love you, too." Elphaba ended the call and tossed her phone onto her desk. She pushed her glasses farther onto her nose, irritably blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face as she angrily started typing a reply to the offending email on the keyboard of her laptop.

Someone popped his head around the doorway and without looking up, she said, "Hey, Yero. I was just about to go look for you. How's the extra security for the twins' birthday? Is everything accounted for?"

"Yeah." He leaned against the doorway. "How did you know it was me?"

She smiled, still not looking up from her screen. "I recognised your footsteps. Good ears, remember?"

He laughed, recalling she'd mentioned that during one of their fights. "I remember. Everything is in place for the weekend, don't worry."

She nodded. "Good." Then she sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Also, the speech in City Hall..."

"I'll be there," he said. "I'd prefer it if you called it off, though. You'll be out in the open and anyone could get to you. I'll put extra security in place for that as well, but I'd rather you didn't go at all."

"I can't just put my entire life on hold, Yero," she said, heaving another sigh. "This is an important event and I'm the deputy mayor. I have duties. Besides, it's in public. Hardly anything can happen as long as someone stays with me all the time."

"True," he agreed, crossing his arms, "until your love-struck psycho stalker decides that if he can't have you, no-one can, and starts attempting to kill you rather than seduce you."

She froze. "Do you think that will happen?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "It's something we need to keep in mind, though."

She moaned, burying her face in her hands. Fiyero came into the room and stepped up behind her. He started rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to console her.

"If it's that important, just do the speech," he said. "I'll keep an eye on you and I'll have enough security guards around to make sure nothing can happen. So far, it still seems like this guy wants you alive, not dead, so I don't think you're in any immediate danger if you go to the charity gala; but we'll need to discuss strategy soon and try to find a way to deal with this once and for all, okay?"

She nodded, her head still in her hands. "Okay."

"Hey," he said, pulling his hands away and regarding her in interest. "I've been meaning to ask you – do you only wear glasses for reading?"

"What?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I've noticed you wearing glasses before, but not all the time. I've been trying to discover a pattern there," he confessed, "but I can't for the life of me figure out when you do need glasses and when you don't, so now I'm curious."

She rolled her eyes at him. "It's easy, Yero," she explained with exaggerated patience. "If I'm not too lazy to put in my contacts in the morning, I don't wear glasses. If I can't be bothered poking the stupid contacts into my eyes, I do wear glasses. That's all there is to it." She smirked at him. "Is that a satisfying explanation for that mystery?"

He opened his mouth to make a witty retort, but just then, her phone rang and she grunted, reaching for it. She didn't recognise the caller ID and she picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Elphaba." The man on the other side of the line cleared his throat. "It's me. Avaric."

She nearly dropped the phone.

"Please don't hang up on me," he added quickly, with a small laugh. "I just want to talk."

"What do you want, Avaric?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level. Upon hearing the name, she saw Fiyero's eyes widen and she made a face at him before focusing on the conversation again.

"I, um... I emailed you," he said.

"Yeah. I saw."

"Right." He paused. "Listen, Elphaba... I meant what I said," he said. "I won't try to be a part of your life, or the twins', if you don't want me to. I realise I have no right to ask that. I just... I'd like to meet them. That's all. Now that I know they exist, I can't just pretend they don't, you know? And if you don't want me in their lives, I can understand that, too, and it's fine, but... I just want to meet them in person once. Please."

Elphaba chewed on the inside of her cheek, considering. "How did you find out about them?" she asked finally.

He hesitated. "I ran into someone," he said carefully. "Someone who... knows you. I asked how you were, and this person told me about the twins, and like I said in my email – I can do the math."

"Who?" she asked tiredly. "We knew one another for two days. You never met my family and I never talked to you about my friends. How did you even know that this person you ran into knew me?"

He sighed. "Don't blame her for telling me about you, okay? She didn't know who I was. I pretended to be an old friend of yours who lost touch with you."

Elphaba exhaled slowly through her nose. "Nessa."

"Yeah. I met her when I was in Munchkinland for work and when she introduced herself as Nessarose Thropp, I knew she had to be your sister. You did tell me about her, you know – your little sister in a wheelchair."

"Yes," she said quietly. "I know."

Fiyero was watching her closely and she turned away from him, fidgeting with a pen on her desk. "So you pretended to be someone who used to know me but wasn't in touch with me anymore, asked Nessa how I was, and then she told you about the twins?"

"Yes."

"And now you want to meet them."

"Just once." He sounded pleading. "Come on, Elphaba. I know I haven't been a father to them and I hold no claim to that title, but they _are_ my children, too. The least you can do is let me see them."

"I don't owe you anything and they are _not_ your children," she snapped and he was quick to agree.

"Biologically speaking, though..."

She couldn't really deny that and she saw where he was coming from, so she relented. "Fine," she said, pushing against the desk with her foot to spin her desk chair around in circles. "You can see them. Their ninth birthday is this Saturday and we're having a small party in the afternoon; you can come to the Palace then. They'll be there, but my family and friends will also be there, just like my security guards."

"Got it," he said immediately, catching the veiled warning for what it was. "Thank you, Elphaba."

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

She spun the chair again, the room blurring around her. "They can't know who you really are. I'll tell them you're an old friend and you can talk to them, but you cannot tell them you're their biological father. Okay?"

"Deal," he said.

She nodded, even though he couldn't see that. "Great. I'll see you Saturday, then." She hung up before he could say anything else and she spun around once more, laying her head in her neck and closing her eyes. "Well, this is going to be awkward."

She opened her eyes when the chair stopped moving, only to find Fiyero holding it still. "Avaric is coming to the party?"

She nodded and he said, dumbfounded, "I thought you said you hadn't seen or talked to him since... well, since you were seventeen."

"I haven't," she said. "He found out recently about the existence of the twins, though, and he sent me a few emails to ask me if he could see them. I deleted them without replying, so now he called. I'm not sure how he got my private mobile phone number, but clearly, he did." She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I've always been careful to keep Fawn and Xalo out of the public eye as much as possible, so it makes sense that he wouldn't know about them until now, but I really wish he never found out about them at all. Nessa told him and I don't really blame her, especially if he lied to her to try and find out how I was doing, but I just... I don't want to have to deal with this. Especially not now."

"You won't have to, though, right?" Fiyero asked. "If I understood your end of the conversation correctly, he'll only be there this weekend and then he's going to leave you alone again."

She nodded. "I hope so. That's the deal now, but we'll have to see if he sticks to it." She narrowed her eyes at him suddenly. "How did you know I was seventeen when he knocked me up?"

He grinned sheepishly. "The twins are a source of information once you know how to use them."

She groaned. "Great. My own children betraying me." She didn't look angry, though, which must surprise her as well, because she said, "If you had talked to them about these things two weeks ago, I would have gutted you alive."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

She chuckled. "I guess you must have grown on me after all," she teased him. Then she sobered. "How are you feeling now? Are you still in pain?"

He shrugged. "I was never in too much pain to begin with, thanks to you," he said. "I slept well, so I think I'm all peachy again."

"You were stabbed not even two days ago," she pointed out sharply. "Yesterday around this time, you were still unconscious. Don't brush that off so easily. Can I see the stab wound?"

He obediently sat down on the couch and Elphaba knelt down in front of him. He rolled up his shirt and she gently prodded the spot where the stab wound had been, making him wince. She murmured an apology as she continued to examine the skin and then sat back on her heels, nodding in satisfaction.

"It seems to be healing quite well on its own now," she said. "Congratulations, Mr Tiggular. It's going to take another while to completely heal, though, and you'll definitely have a scar. My magic mainly healed the inside, not the outside."

"Oh, but that's fine," he said, lowering his shirt again. "I mean, come on – you saved my life. I can hardly complain about that. And besides," he gave her a lopsided grin, "many women find scars attractive."

She rolled her eyes at him and rose to her feet again, but then swayed, her face blanching; and Fiyero quickly shot to his feet to steady her. "You okay?"

She started nodding, then shook her head. "I probably didn't sleep enough," she conceded. "And I probably didn't eat enough, either. Doing magic always takes a huge toll on me – I slept for nearly sixteen hours after healing you."

"Then go to bed," he told her firmly.

She shook her head stubbornly. "I have a lot of things to prepare for the party this weekend, and then there's my regular work – I still have to write the entire speech for the gala and –"

"Fae," Fiyero cut her off gently. "Stop. I'll tell Galinda to take care of the party – she'll love that. The speech will come next week. You still have plenty of time for that."

She looked about to protest again, but he shook his head at her and slipped his arm around her waist, guiding her out of her office. "Come on."

He led her to the lift, but she protested. "I'm not so weak that I can't climb two sets of stairs," she argued and because of his earlier suspicions, he didn't protest, instead keeping a tight hold on her as he helped her up the stairs. He guided her to her own room, promising to ask someone to bring her something to eat for when she'd wake up.

"Thanks," she mumbled sleepily after she'd quickly changed into a pair of flannel pyjama trousers and a tank top in the bathroom and came out into her bedroom again. "I mean, you're being really annoying by insisting I take a nap, but I probably need it, so thanks."

He rolled his eyes. "You're welcome."

She swayed again and he caught her, giving her a stern look. She groaned, resting her forehead against his chest and closing her eyes for a moment. "Yeah," she admitted. "I _definitely_ need sleep. Don't look so worried," she said almost indignantly when she saw the look on his face. "It's just a loss of energy. I'll live." She looked up at him, tilting her head a little to the side. She only now noticed that he was only about half a head taller than she was – the top of her head almost reached his eyes. She also suddenly realised how close they were. If she leaned up on her tiptoes now and pulled him just a little bit closer, she could kiss him.

Not that she wanted to. She quickly drew away from him, mentally scolding herself. Why in Oz would she want to kiss Fiyero Tiggular? What was her brain doing to her? It was probably just exhausted, she decided and she quickly stumbled over to her bed, crawling under the blankets.

"I'll go, then," said Fiyero, giving her a lopsided grin. "Fresh dreams. I'll be in my office if you need me once you wake up. And don't worry about this whole Avaric situation," he added, as if he knew what she was thinking about – or maybe he was worrying about it himself, too. She was afraid of what would happen: that Avaric would want more after all, or that the twins would understand who he was and start asking questions, or that Avaric would want to get back together with her or some nonsense like that...

But Fiyero was right. She should save those worries for later.

He winked at her. "It'll work itself out," he said. "And if not, we have lots of security on the spot this Saturday. Just say the word and I'll make sure he's escorted out of the Palace."

"Thanks," she said, heaving a sigh.

"You're welcome. I'll go now, before you fall asleep on me," he said with a grin and she smiled a little, knowing he was right.

"Leave the door open," she murmured.

"Will do," Fiyero said, moving towards said door. He was amused to find that she fell asleep before he had even completely left the room.

* * *

 **It's definitely slow going, but Fiyeraba is on its way, slowly but surely!**


	12. Missing

**You're all so suspicious! (You're right to be.)**

* * *

 **12\. Missing**

Fiyero was hiding it well, but he had to admit to himself at least that he felt quite frustrated about the fact that he had been stabbed – would have been killed, if Elphaba hadn't healed him with her magic – and they had no idea who had done it.

He tried to stay positive, mainly for Elphaba and her family, because he knew how worried they were. The truth was, however, that he was worried, too. This stalker of hers meant serious business and he was afraid someone would get seriously hurt if they didn't figure out who was doing it soon – but how? Luring him out clearly hadn't worked.

In the meantime, all he could do was take his duty to protect the Thropp family seriously. Fawn and Xalo's birthday party would be swamped with guards, but at least no-one would get in unauthorised and the guests would be kept an eye on. He wished he knew who was doing this, though. There hadn't been another letter since the one they had received the day after Fiyero had been stabbed, but he expected one again relatively soon. This stalker seemed to be building toward some sort of climax and Fiyero couldn't help but wonder what it was.

He'd seen such a thing before only once, when he had just started working as a professional bodyguard. A woman had been stalked by her ex-husband, although she didn't know it was him back then. He kept emailing her threats and calling her, only to hang up again the moment she picked up the phone. The threats had become more and more frequent and scarier with each one. They had ended with a murder attempt on the one-year anniversary of the day the woman had officially divorced her ex, but the man had failed and the woman, although badly injured, had survived – partially thanks to Fiyero, who had shot the culprit. The guy had been arrested then and locked up for years.

Until they knew who Elphaba's stalker was, however, they could only guess at his intentions. Was he going to come out to Elphaba face-to-face to try and seduce her? Had he already? For all Fiyero knew, the guy could be one of Elphaba's university friends, or Avaric – in that respect, he wasn't actually surprised that Elphaba had suspected Fiyero himself at some point. He would never have admitted it to her then, but he'd actually been kind of impressed with her brain's ability to make connections and consider options. Stalkers, in his experience, were often people who already knew the victim.

Then again, Elphaba was, as she'd pointed out, a public figure. People saw her out in public and on TV or in newspapers all the time. It also couldn't really be denied that, despite her intimidating demeanour and her green skin, she was a beautiful woman. Perhaps her stalker was just some guy who'd seen her give a speech and now had a crush on her.

Even if it was a stranger, though, maybe he wouldn't come out into the open at all. He could try to sneak up on Elphaba in an unguarded moment and attempt to rape her – Fiyero wouldn't put that past the guy who had written those disgustingly creepy letters. Or maybe he'd get mad once he realised that Fiyero was still alive, despite him having been stabbed, and he'd turn on Elphaba, wanting to kill her instead of have her for himself. People like this man were generally unpredictable and Fiyero had no idea what to expect, which put him on edge. He hated surprises.

He was shaken from his thoughts by Galinda, who knocked on the open door to his office and gave him a tentative smile. "Hey. Mind if I come in?"

He motioned for her to go ahead and she perched on a chair, taking a deep breath.

"I understand you know about Avaric?"

"Yes," said Fiyero. "The whole back story, thanks to Elphaba and a few too many Munchkin whites; as well as the fact that he's coming to the twins' party this weekend. Why?"

Galinda looked unhappy. She fidgeted with her skirt, then sighed. "I'm worried about Elphie," she said. "She's so concerned about this stalker guy – which is exactly why I didn't want to tell her about him in the first place, but I suppose that can't be helped now... I'm just scared that she'll do something rash. Avaric's betrayal of her cut her deep, even though she tries to hide it; and I don't know what she would do if he approached her again now. If he wants to see the twins more often, or – Oz forbid – get back together with her…"

"She would never do that," said Fiyero confidently, but Galinda didn't seem so sure.

"She might," she said. "He caught her at a weak moment before. When Elphaba is insecure and not in control of a situation, or of her own life, she starts doing crazy things. Don't get me wrong, she's a lot more confident and mature now than she was then and I don't _really_ think she'd go along with such a suggestion, but… well, I'm just worried. Could you help me keep an eye on her during the party? Please? Don't let Avaric get too close to her. She shouldn't talk to him alone. With a bit of luck, he'll stick to his word, but just in case I want to look out for her."

Fiyero nodded. "I will. Don't worry."

Galinda smiled at him. "Thank you. I'd better go home now," she sang, leaping to her feet. "Coco has made me dinner. Isn't he the sweetest thing? I'll be in again tomorrow!" With that, she fluttered out of the room.

* * *

Avaric seemed to have hardly changed at all since he was in his mid-twenties, much to Elphaba's dismay. He had to be well in his thirties now, but he looked exactly the same as before; there wasn't a streak of grey visible in his hair and not a single wrinkle marring his face. He still had the cocky attitude he'd had then, but it seemed to deflate a little when he saw her and he smiled.

"You look well," he said, leaning in to hug her or maybe kiss her cheek, but she stepped back. Taking the hint, he sighed, but backed off, instead holding out his hand. "It's good to see you again, Elphaba."

She snorted and ignored the hand outstretched to her. "I wish I could say the same thing."

He winced. "I deserved that." He glanced at Fiyero, who was standing behind Elphaba with a hand on the gun in the waistband of his jeans, and his eyes widened for just a clock-tick. "Um... who is this?"

"One of the security guards I mentioned on the phone," she said flatly and he nodded again, obviously understanding what she was getting at.

"Okay." He cleared his throat. "How are you?"

She just raised an eyebrow at him.

He sighed, deflating again, and looked around. "Where are the twins?"

She pointed out the doors into the garden, which were open. Since the weather was so nice, they'd decided to have the party on the ground floor at the back of the building, rather than upstairs in the Thropp-Diggs family's living area, so the guests could also go outside. "Playing with some of the other kids. There are guards outside, too," she added for good measure and he nodded again.

"Right. I, um... I got them a present." He held up a package. "Is that okay?"

She nodded, but Fiyero stepped in.

"Can I see it first?" he asked. "Security measure, you know." He gave Avaric a condescending smile.

The older man frowned, but handed Fiyero the present. He carefully unwrapped it to check what was inside and when he saw the video game Avaric had bought the twins, he re-wrapped the present and nodded, handing it back to Avaric. "All clear."

"Thanks," Avaric said sarcastically, clearly disliking Fiyero. Judging from the scowl on the bodyguard's face, Fiyero felt the same way.

"I won't stay long," Avaric told Elphaba. "Don't worry about me. Really. I'll just go say hi and chat with them for a little while, give them their present, and I'll be gone again in an hour or so. I meant it when I said I just wanted to see them."

"I'd appreciate that," the dark-haired witch said. She didn't bother to be polite. Not with Avaric. Not after what he'd done nearly ten years ago. Young and stupid, indeed. She scoffed softly to herself. He'd been in his late twenties already – he should have known better, but he hadn't. He'd pressured her into doing something she didn't want to do and even though she'd meant what she'd told Fiyero, about not wanting to trade the twins for anything, she still resented Avaric for what he'd done to her and she didn't think that would ever change.

He seemed to understand that, too, because he gave her a weak smile. "I'll just... go, then." He wandered off and Fiyero scowled after him.

"He looks just like I thought he would," he said.

She huffed a laugh. "Like an arrogant jackass who never seems to age a single day?"

Fiyero grinned. "Something like that. Although I also meant it in terms of looks. I tried to puzzle together an image of the twins' father, based on their looks and yours," he admitted, "and I was quite close. Although you're right about the not aging thing. He looks like he can't be older than I am."

"Oh, he is," Elphaba assured him. "He's at least eight years older than you are. Ten years older than me, too, give or take, even though he doesn't look like it. Of course, a person would look much better if he didn't have to take care of two children on his own," she said sarcastically. "Not to mention juggle a university study and the rise to the job of deputy mayor with those two children. I bet he had all the time in the world to focus on his career and on his pretty looks. He's rich, too, judging from the expensive clothes. Do you think he had plastic surgery?"

The bodyguard laughed. "Who knows?"

"Maybe I should get it, too. Lift my eyebrows, get some injections to make everything look just a little tighter..." She pulled her cheeks back and made a face at him. "Would this look better?"

"No," he told her. "Leave the plastic surgery to your creepy ex, please."

She laughed and let go of her face. "Fine."

"You don't need that, anyway," Fiyero added. "You're already beautiful."

She blinked at him for a moment, but then shook it off and excused herself. "I should go chat with some of the other people here. Parents of the twins' friends, and stuff. Socialising is important in my profession, unfortunately." She went off and Fiyero returned to keeping an eye on all the guests, almost waiting for something to happen. He watched as Elphaba mingled, smiling and talking, but he noticed her smiles were forced and she kept glancing around her to catch a glimpse of Avaric or the twins. She was obviously nervous about them meeting.

Oscar was present as well, although he mainly seemed to be talking business with the handful of business acquaintances who were attending the party. Many of Oscar's friendships stemmed from his work and he had invited some of the ones he saw on a regular basis, given the fact that the twins knew and liked them as well, in addition to the children Fawn and Xalo themselves had invited and the parents who had tagged along. Gazilon and Duran weren't there, even though they had been invited; Gazilon lived quite some distance away and hadn't been able to make it today, and Duran had had some pressing engagement at work he hadn't been able to get out of.

Cohvu and Galinda were mingling just like Elphaba, but the blonde woman looked far happier about it than her employer did. She chatted away to everyone who was willing to listen, gushing over little girls' dresses and teasing the boys, laughing with their parents and talking seriously with the officials. Fiyero saw the adoring look on Cohvu's face as he watched his girlfriend, radiant in her bright pink party dress, and he couldn't help but smile. Even if Elphaba hadn't told him Cohvu was planning to propose, he would have suspected so, anyway. He was certain Galinda would accept, too. They were quite obviously in love and from the way Galinda interacted with the children, Fiyero thought she would make a wonderful mother one day. She glanced up and met his gaze. He winked at her and she smiled in return, the two of them sharing a look of mutual understanding before she focused on the guests again.

Elphaba appeared beside him once more, staring at her phone with a disgruntled look on her face. "Gazilon texted me," she said, scowling. "Another university friend I haven't seen in ages. We used to be so close as a group – Gaz, Cohvu, Duran, Galinda, and I – but then we all moved in different directions for our jobs and everything changed. I usually go out for drinks or lunch with Gazilon to catch up and he wants to see me soon, but I'm guessing that's a bad idea, right?"

"After one friendly date ending with your friend getting beaten up and another ending with me getting stabbed? Yeah, I'd say that, unless you really hate Gazilon, it's probably a bad idea," Fiyero agreed and Elphaba now directed her scowl at him.

"Sarcasm really doesn't suit you, you know," she said snippily and he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Fae," he apologised. "It'd probably be best for you to postpone catching up with Gazilon – for his own safety. Although you could always invite him to the Palace," he suggested. "Or make it a group date, if you really want to – invite all those other friends of yours over, too, and mix in some guards and me. That should keep you all safe."

She sighed, sliding her phone back into her pocket without replying to Gazilon's text. "I just really hate this," she complained. "I hate having to put my life on hold and I hate being scared all the time that something will happen. This has been going on for how long now?"

"Three months since the first letter," said Fiyero and Elphaba sighed again.

"It feels like so much longer and I've only actually known about it for a week or so," she grumbled. "Then again, I've known something was off for far longer than that. I just didn't know what, exactly. I'm not even sure if I prefer knowing or not knowing, to be honest."

Fiyero smiled sympathetically at her. "We're doing everything we can."

"I know you are." She touched his arm briefly. "And I appreciate it. I guess I'll just have to live with it." She straightened and looked around. "Have you seen Avaric or the twins anywhere?"

He shook his head and she bit her lip. "I should go and find them." She flashed him another small smile before disappearing between the guests again in search of either her ex (if one could call him that) or her children.

Fiyero went back to watching the party-goers, a little bored now that he didn't have anyone to talk to. After a while, he found Elphaba in the crowd again, talking to Fawn, and his smile widened. Having gotten to know her, he was fairly sure that if Elphaba hadn't had kids of her own, she'd be awkward around them; yet even their first meeting had demonstrated that she was, in fact, a good mother herself. Not in the same way he thought Galinda would be, though. Elphaba reminded him more of a mother lion protecting her cubs. Somewhere along the way, he had discovered that there was much more to the hard-working and somewhat stiff deputy mayor than it seemed.

She approached him now, Fawn on her hand. They were quite the picture together. Fawn was wearing a violet party dress with lots of frills, her hair curled and all done up (Galinda's doing, probably), while Elphaba was dressed casually in jeans and a patterned blouse in different colours, her hair tied back in a ponytail as it often was. Despite those differences, though, it was still as if he was seeing two versions of the same person: a little Elphaba and a grown-up one. It was a little unnerving, but as he studied them, the small differences between them became clearer to him as well – in their eyes and their facial features, mainly, because the ways they moved and held themselves were nearly identical.

They came closer and Fiyero's smile faded when he saw the serious look on Elphaba's face.

"Xalo is missing," she said. "Or, well, 'missing'... some of the kids were playing hide-and-seek and they can't find him." Fiyero could tell she was trying her hardest to remain calm. "He probably just found a very good hiding spot, right? I mean..."

"I'm sure he's fine," Fiyero assured her. "Do you want me to help you find him?"

She shook her head. "I can use a magic spell to locate him," she explained. "Just watch Fawn for me for a minute, please? I need to go out into the hallway – I can't concentrate in here."

He nodded and watched her leave. Fawn looked up at him with wide green eyes and he grinned at her.

"Don't worry, kid," he said. "Your brother probably just found the best spot ever and is now laughing at you and the others because you can't find him."

"I know," Fawn said in a small voice, but she still looked a little fearful. "Fiyero?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know who the man with the brown hair was who came to talk to Xalo and me? He said he's a friend of Mum's, but I've never seen him before."

Fiyero wasn't entirely sure what to say to that. "Your mum mentioned him," he said vaguely and Fawn nodded, clearly unconvinced.

"He asked about us, our hobbies and things like that," she said. "We gave him a tour of the house, because he said he'd never been here before, and he gave us a really expensive video game for our birthday. I thought that was weird, because we don't even know him, but the guy himself was a little strange, too. He wanted to know all these things about us and he asked about our dad, if we missed him and stuff like that."

Fiyero silently cursed Avaric for being so obvious. "I'm sure he was just curious about you and Xalo, since he hasn't met you before," he assured the little green girl. "He knows your mum, after all, so it makes sense that he would want to know about you, too, right?"

"Xalo said he and I have the same eyes," Fawn said. "That man, I mean."

"Do you, now?" Fiyero let out a slightly nervous laugh. "That's a coincidence, but lots of people have green eyes, Fawn. Don't worry about it."

Fawn looked at him sharply. "You know something, don't you?" she accused him. "You're acting weird. Mum was acting weird about him, too."

Fiyero opened his mouth to reply, but Galinda appeared beside Fawn with her phone, smiling widely. "Come on, Fawn, big smile for the picture!" she sang and quickly snapped a photo with the phone when Fawn forced a smile onto her face. "You look so pretty today! Where's the birthday boy? I'd like to get some pictures of the two of you together!"

Just then, Elphaba burst through the door and all but ran over to them, looking decidedly panicked now.

"He's inside," she said breathlessly. "In the utility closet. Someone else is with him. Please tell me it's one of the other kids," she almost begged Fawn, but the girl shook her head with wide eyes.

"Everyone else is here," she said in a quivery little voice and Elphaba spun around and stormed off. Fiyero ordered Galinda to stay with Fawn and keep an eye on her before sprinting after the green woman, all kinds of scenarios running through his head. Most of them involved Elphaba's stalker. Was he going after her children now in an attempt to get to her? Oz, he hoped they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

 **Nia has been catching up with me lately, cliffy-wise, so I need more cliffies. If you want to blame someone for them, blame her. (Don't worry, though - it's going to get a lot worse than this! *cackles*)**


	13. Caught

**I love how last chapter makes you all want to punch people, haha!**

 **amberleigh90: Never too much. Made me grin. :)**

 **This is quite an eventful chapter. Not as bad as some of the upcoming ones, though. *smirks***

* * *

 **13\. Caught**

Elphaba had a head start on Fiyero and she'd run as fast as she could – she didn't wait for the bodyguard to catch up before yanking open the door to the utility closet, ready to punch someone in the face. She faltered, however, when she saw who was in there with Xalo.

"Avaric," she breathed, slowly exhaling. "What in Oz are you doing here?"

He looked startled at her sudden appearance. "Xalo was playing hide-and-seek," he explained. "I was looking for the bathroom and I found him here, so he told me to get in with him and be quiet so the others wouldn't find us."

"Has everyone else been found?" Xalo asked enthusiastically. "Am I the last one standing?" His face was hopeful and, frankly, he looked adorable the way he stood there in his now-rumpled birthday outfit, eyes shining at the idea of having won the game. Elphaba just couldn't get mad at him.

She exhaled heavily and knelt down to wrap her son in her arms, hugging him tightly for a moment and closing her eyes. Thank Oz, he was safe. "Yes," she said with a small, relieved laugh. "Yes, you're the last one, Xalo. You had your sister and me pretty worried, you know that?"

He looked suitably abashed. "Sorry. But I did win the game!" he said and she let go of him, shaking her head.

"That you did." She ran her hand over his head one final time and made to follow him out of the closet, but Avaric stopped her.

"Elphaba?" he asked. "Can we talk?"

She motioned for Xalo to go ahead and turned to face Avaric. "About what?" she asked warily.

He smiled. "They're beautiful children, Elphaba."

"I know," she said.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Listen..." He brushed past her to close the door in order to give them some privacy. "I just wanted to –"

"Open that door," Elphaba said sharply.

"Don't worry," Avaric said a little irritably. "I'm not going to assault you. Oz, Elphaba, you must think very low of me to believe that –"

"I'm serious," she snapped, her breath high in her chest and her throat squeezed shut in panic. "Open that door."

"I just want a little privacy. What I'm about to do is something I don't do very often." He took a deep breath. "Elphaba... I'm sorry for what I did to you that night in the City, all those years ago."

She tried to push past him, not hearing a word he was saying. "Let me out!"

"Hey. Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." Avaric placed his hands on her shoulders to try and hold her still; but she struggled against him in blind panic.

"Let me _go_!" she cried hysterically.

"For Oz's sake, Elphaba, I'm trying to apologise here!" Avaric snapped, tightening his grip on her. "Would you please listen to me? You're acting like I'm some sort of murderer! I know I hurt you ten years ago and that I shouldn't have done what I did, but don't you think this is a little ridiculous?!"

She didn't stop fighting him and he let go of her, holding up both his hands, but he didn't step away from the door. "Calm down. It's okay."

Just then, however, the door suddenly opened again. Fiyero quickly took in the scene – Elphaba pressing herself against the wall, hiccupping with panicked sobs and breathing fast, and Avaric staring at her wide-eyed with his hands up in the air; and although if the circumstances were any different, he would have been quick to jump to conclusions, he knew better now. He'd suspected this for a while and he'd seen that look of fear in Elphaba's eyes before, albeit much less prominent. He roughly pushed Avaric aside and grabbed Elphaba's arm, pulling her out of the closet and into the hallway and gently helping her sit down against the wall.

"I didn't touch her," Avaric said, looking a little shocked. "I swear. I know what this looks like, but –"

"I know," Fiyero cut him off, crouching down beside Elphaba. "I know you didn't touch her, but you shouldn't have locked her in there."

"The door was unlocked, I just wanted –"

"She's claustrophobic, Avaric," Fiyero told the other man. "You couldn't have known that, but you should have let her out when she started panicking."

Avaric paled slightly. "Oh. I – I didn't know that. I'm sorry."

"Can you get a paper bag somewhere?" Fiyero asked him, knowing he had to remain calm in order to be able to help Elphaba. "She's hyperventilating."

Avaric nodded and dashed off while Fiyero lightly ran his fingers through Elphaba's hair, pushing it behind her ears. "Fae, breathe," he instructed her. "Slower. That's it. You're okay now, calm down. Shallow breaths, not so deep, or your brain will get too much oxygen and you'll faint." He gently wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks with his fingers, cupping her face with one hand and forcing her to look at him. "There you go," he murmured when he noticed her breathing slowing down. "That's it."

Avaric returned with a small paper bag and Fiyero took it from him, giving it to Elphaba for her to breathe in. "Thanks," he told the other man – a clear dismissal, and Avaric understood it as such. He didn't look too happy about it, but he merely nodded and left again.

Fiyero waited until Elphaba had completely calmed down and didn't need the bag anymore. Then he plonked down onto the floor next to her and heaved a deep sigh. "Well, that was an eventful little party."

"You don't say," Elphaba wheezed and he had to grin at her sarcasm.

"Shut up, you," he told her, poking her playfully in the side. "Catch your breath. And next time, keep in mind that you don't need to keep things like this secret from me. I get that you wouldn't want the whole world to know that the unshakeable deputy mayor has claustrophobia, but I thought we were friends. I'm a little hurt you didn't trust me, Fae." He dramatically put a hand over his heart.

She eyed him warily. "How long have you known?" she asked, still a little breathless, but sounding better now.

He shrugged. "At first I just thought you had a weird health thing about exercise and fresh air," he said. "Walking everywhere whenever you could, always taking the stairs, only driving in a car with at least one window open even when it's cold... I started noticing other things, though. You not taking the lift with me after I'd been stabbed was a bit of a giveaway, because as I got to know you, I don't think you would have left me alone at that point. Not after being so worried about me and not even for ten seconds. Once I started paying attention, more things jumped out at me and it was easy to deduce. You not wanting the door to your office closed, for example – or any door to a relatively small room, for that matter."

"The cat's out of the bag now then, huh?" she mumbled, tiredly leaning her head back against the wall.

Fiyero nudged her shoulder with his. "That's not such a bad thing. I can help you steer clear of small spaces," he offered, which made her roll her eyes at him and drop her head against his shoulder instead of back against the wall.

He stretched his legs out in front of him. Elphaba did the same, her toes almost reaching his ankles when she flexed her feet. "How long have you been claustrophobic?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba scrunched up her nose. "A long time," she confessed. "I'm not entirely sure how long. Since I was a child, probably, although some periods in my life are worse than others, mainly stressful periods. You should have seen me when I was wandering the Emerald City by myself after having been kicked out whilst pregnant with the twins," she said with a short laugh. "I think it was caused by Frex," she confessed. "Remember what I told you about him locking me in my mother's old walk-in closet for hours sometimes?"

Fiyero jerked away to stare at her, horrified.

She gave him a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't look so shocked. I told you the Big, Bad Bully is a jerk," she said, but he didn't laugh. "Seriously, Yero, I'm over it. All right, apparently not quite," she conceded, "but he has no power over me anymore. He just wanted to protect Nessa from what he thought was a bad influence on her. He won't get a Father of the Year award, but it could have been much worse."

Recognising from her tone that she didn't want to talk about the man who raised her, he asked, "How many people know?"

She thought about that. "Nessa knows, although I don't think she knows quite how bad it is. Galinda and Oscar, too, and the other university friends I was close with – Cohvu, Duran, and Gazilon. The twins... well, they know I don't like small spaces, _hate_ lifts, and prefer doors and windows open, but I don't think they completely understand what claustrophobia is. That's it."

He whistled between his teeth. "I would be honoured to be among the select group of people who know – you know, if you'd actually have told me yourself instead of me finding out because you were panicking in a closet with Avaric."

She looked pained, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "Please don't phrase it like that."

"Don't worry," he said. He pretended to zip his lips shut. "I won't say a thing to anyone. Avaric might, but I hope he knows better than that."

"So do I," Elphaba muttered. She sighed. "Oz, this is such a mess." She started pushing herself up. "We should go back to the party. Before everyone realises we're missing and they all start jumping to conclusions," she said sarcastically, but Fiyero caught her hand and pulled her down.

"Sit down," he ordered. "They won't miss us for a while yet and you need some time to catch your breath."

"I'm fine," she protested, but he tugged at her hand again and she let him pull her down.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, but then they were interrupted by Galinda, who came to check up on her friend.

"Elphie," she sighed. "Are you all right? Avaric told me what happened." She smiled bleakly at Fiyero. "Bodyguard saves the day, I heard?"

He chuckled and Elphaba groaned. "Please tell me not all the party-goers know now," she begged Galinda, who shook her head.

"Don't worry," she assured the green woman. "He only told me, but he said Fiyero was with you now. I think he felt ashamed for what happened. He asked me to convey his apologies to you, Elphaba, and then he left."

Elphaba heaved a deep, relieved sigh. "At least _that_ went well. What did he even do while he was here? I hardly saw him."

Galinda shrugged. "Xalo told me that he and Fawn gave Avaric a brief tour of the house, since he had never been here," she said. "Avaric asked the twins a bunch of questions about themselves and they asked _him_ some questions, too, but he didn't really answer those. I think Fawn suspects something."

"I think so, too," Fiyero agreed, recalling the conversation he'd had with Fawn when Elphaba had left the room to cast the spell to sense Xalo.

Elphaba moaned and buried her face in her arms. "Just _wonderful_. How am I ever going to explain this to them?"

"Just tell them the truth," Galinda suggested. "Daddy was a jerk who took advantage of Mummy and then left her, but now he wanted to see his kids just once before disappearing again."

Fiyero chuckled, but Elphaba just raised her head to glare at her blonde friend. "Not helping, Galinda. They're nine years old – they wouldn't understand!"

"They already know the jerk part, anyway," Fiyero piped up. "They told me that all they knew about their father was that he was a jerk who never really cared about their mother. I think they'd understand if you told them a simplified version of the truth."

Elphaba grumbled something under her breath and then heaved a frustrated sigh. "Maybe they won't ask questions after all. Or maybe I can wave them off with some vague answer."

"It'll be fine," Fiyero said consolingly and she gave him a faint, weary smile.

"Thank you, by the way," she said. "For getting me out of there and for helping me afterwards. And I'm sorry for not telling you."

He laughed. "Don't be. You had no reason to tell me – we only even started to actually like each other less than a week ago," he said teasingly, which made her grin as well.

"True."

Galinda giggled. "I'm so glad the two of you get along now, though," she said happily. "It makes things much easier for all of us. Now come on." She held out her hands to help Elphaba to her feet. "Let's go back to the party and have fun for a while longer. It's nice to not have to worry for a few hours – well, Fiyero will have to, what with being in charge of security and all..."

"Don't worry," Fiyero assured her, pushing himself up as well. "It's my job. As long as I get my pay check, I don't mind." The truth was, though, that he was no longer doing it only for the money. He suspected Galinda and Elphaba knew that, too.

Galinda smirked at him and linked her one arm with his and her other with Elphaba's, pulling them both with her as she chattered about the guests at the party and how handsome Cohvu looked today and if Elphaba and Fiyero had any idea of when he might finally propose to her, because she was growing impatient.

* * *

After the party, the adults spent a long time cleaning everything up while Fawn and Xalo played their new video games in the living room upstairs; and once the twins were in bed, the others all sat together with a glass of wine to chat for a while. It was late by the time they finally rolled into bed and it felt like Fiyero had only slept for a couple of minutes when his phone suddenly rang, playing an annoyingly cheerful tune into his ear.

The bodyguard groaned, blindly reaching for the phone on his nightstand and bringing it up to his ear. "Hello?" he mumbled.

"Fiyero," Galinda's high voice said in his ear, a definite edge of panic to her voice. "My office. Now."

He didn't question her order. He hung up, shot into a pair of jeans and a shirt, and ran out of his room bare-footed, taking two steps at a time down the stairs and skidding to a halt in front of Galinda's office. She was pale as a sheet, staring at a piece of paper with Oscar right beside her looking just as shaken; and he knew without asking what must have happened.

"What does it say?" he demanded and she handed it to him silently. It was only one sentence and Fiyero swore fervently before looking back up at Galinda and Oscar.

"I need to see the security footage," he said and she nodded.

"I already called the head of security," she said. "He's waiting for us downstairs."

She led him and Oscar to the lifts and they went down to the ground floor, through another short hallway and into a room with multiple screens set up on desks and tables as well as on the floor. A man was sitting on a desk chair, turning around when they came in.

"Miss Upland," he said, rising to his feet. "Mayor Diggs. Mr Tiggular. What was so urgent that it could not wait?"

"We need to see the security footage from Deputy Mayor Thropp's rooms last night," Oscar told him and he frowned.

"There are no cameras in her bedroom or bathroom," he said, typing something on a keyboard. "Obviously – I mean, there is such a thing as privacy, of course. I think I have a camera up in her foyer, though." He clicked a few times, typed something else, and then nodded in satisfaction when an image popped onto the screen. "There you go. What time are we looking for here?"

Galinda shook her head. "I don't know, but we're looking for an intruder," she said. "Someone must have been in her room last night."

"Unless someone has been there before and placed a camera in her bedroom, or something," Fiyero muttered, feeling nauseous.

Galinda shuddered at the thought and Oscar said tightly, "Let's try this first."

"Someone in Miss Thropp's rooms?" the head of security asked with a frown. "That's all but impossible. I'm fairly certain someone would have noticed."

"Even with the improvements I tried to make, security here still isn't nearly as good as it should be," Fiyero said irritably. "Most of the guards working here are lazy and there are holes in the security that you somehow seem to be refusing to fix, even though I pointed them out to you several times already."

The man looked a little taken aback, but he started searching through the footage. Fiyero twisted a little to find a better angle to look at the screen, but then he turned towards the door of the room and suddenly gave a yelp when he caught sight of someone standing in the doorway. "Fae!"

Everyone but the head of security instantly spun around, but she merely pushed past them and leaned forward to get a better view of the screen.

"What are you doing here?!" Galinda demanded in a high-pitched voice.

Elphaba shrugged. "I was just on my way down to get some breakfast when I saw Fiyero dashing down the stairs like a madman, looking as if he'd jumped straight out of bed," she said. "So I followed him, and then all three of you, since I didn't figure you'd be willing to let me in on whatever is going on. It's another letter, isn't it? And now you think someone has been in my rooms? Why?"

No-one said anything. Oscar placed a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, but it was clear that did nothing to reassure the young witch. She was just about to demand answers again when the head of security suddenly said, "There."

They all stared intently at the screen, where a dark figure had appeared. Like every time and much to Fiyero's annoyance, the person was clad in all black and wearing a black hood, hiding his face from view. The camera, which apparently followed movements, tracked the person as he moved across the foyer and into the room beyond. They could barely discern him standing there in the dark, just inside the other room, watching something.

"My bedroom," said Elphaba in a strangled voice. "He's standing in my bedroom. What is he doing there?"

No-one answered, because no-one had a reply for her – not one she would like, anyway. The head of security skimmed through the footage, showing that Elphaba's stalker stood there for nearly half an hour before turning around and leaving again the way he had come.

"I want you to search all footage from last night to find out how this guy got in," Fiyero ordered the head of security, who looked a little pale around the nose. "We have to know where this breach in Palace security is and we have to fix it. _Now_!" he barked when the man just sat there, shocked. He quickly shook off his bafflement and got to work.

Fiyero turned to face Elphaba, who looked at least as stricken as the security head.

"The letter," she said, her voice shaking. "What did it say?"

Fiyero silently handed it to her, figuring there was no point in trying to hide it. She read it and then reached out to seek support at the wall. She looked terrified and Fiyero gently placed a hand against the small of her back to steady her, re-reading the short, but terrible note over her shoulder.

 _You look so pretty when you sleep._


	14. Journey

**I'm glad you were all creeped out by that note. That was, obviously, my intention. :P And I love hearing all your suspicions!**

 **Guest, thanks for pointing that out - I changed it now.**

* * *

 **14\. Journey**

"Fabala?" Nessarose sounded concerned, even through the phone. "You never call me this early in the day. What's going on?"

"We're coming to Munchkinland, Nessa," Elphaba said curtly into the phone, clutching it between her ear and shoulder so she had her hands free to pack a large sports bag for the twins. "We're leaving in half an hour or so, so we'll be there late this afternoon. There will be seven of us, is that okay? We can share rooms."

Nessa was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was trembling. "What happened, Elphaba?"

"I'll tell you later." The green woman moved as if the devil was on her heels, tossing clothes and toys into the open bag on Fawn's bed without even caring to fold or arrange them properly. "Once we get there."

"Elphaba, at least tell me if you're all right. And the twins? Is anyone hurt?"

Elphaba paused, just long enough to take a deep breath. "No," she said. "No-one is hurt. Don't worry. Something happened, though, and I need to get away from here as soon as possible. Is that okay?"

"Of course," said Nessarose. "I'll make sure everything is ready. You're in luck, too – Father left for Quadling Country early this morning, so you won't have to face him."

"Great." Elphaba exhaled slowly, but she didn't feel any calmer. "Thanks, Ness. I'll see you tonight." She pressed the 'end call' button and placed both her hands on the bed, letting her head hang down as she took a few deep breaths. Those words, those images, were playing before her mind's eye over and over again. _You look so pretty when you sleep_. He'd entered her house, he'd made his way up and into her bedroom, and he'd stood there watching her for over half an hour while she slept, completely oblivious. He could have killed her if he'd wanted to. He could have done anything he wanted – she hadn't even been aware of his presence. And if he could get to _her_ , then he could also get to the twins.

She didn't even realise she was crying until some drops of moisture fell down on the bed between her hands and she inhaled sharply, quickly wiping the tears away and sniffling. As if on cue, Xalo called, "Mum?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" she called back, working hard to keep her voice steady.

He came into the room, studying her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I thought I heard you crying."

She forced a smile, even as she mentally cursed him for being so perceptive. "I'm fine, Xalo," she said, sitting down on the bed. He crawled up beside her and she hugged him. "I just have a lot on my mind. That's all."

"Auntie Galinda said we should be extra nice to you because someone is trying really hard to scare you," Xalo said, looking up at her. "Is that true? Is it like yesterday at the party when that man – Mr Avaric – accidentally locked you in the closet when you're afraid of small spaces?"

"Yeah," she said softly, running her fingers through his hair. She felt a flicker of irritation at Galinda for talking to the twins about this; but then again, she supposed they must have noticed something was going on, too, and she hated lying to them. As long as they all took care that they wouldn't find out the true scope of the threat and became terrified themselves, they could know bits and pieces of the truth. "It's a bit like that."

Xalo nodded earnestly. "Don't be scared, though," he said. "Fiyero is here to protect you, right? And you can protect yourself. You have magic. Does the person who's scaring you also have magic?"

"Probably not," she said with a small smile and he beamed at her.

"Then you can totally take him!"

She laughed and hugged him close again. "I love you, my little monkey."

"I love you, too, Mum." He squirmed away from her. "Can I bring my new video games to Auntie Nessa's?"

"Auntie Nessa doesn't have anything to play them on," Elphaba reminded her son. Frexspar hated everything to do with technology; it was a miracle he even had basic things like a microwave and a washing machine in his house. He and Nessa had no television or computer, although Nessarose had gotten herself a mobile phone and a small laptop at some point so she could at least call and video chat with her sister every now and then.

He heaved a deep, disappointed sigh. "I forgot about that," he said glumly.

She nudged him playfully. "You and Fawn can play outside together. Remember the big garden? And the lake nearby? Maybe Fiyero will take the two of you rowing on the lake once he gets there, if you ask him nicely. And we can all bake a cake together and have a picnic, play board games... Auntie Nessa will be so happy to see you again and spend time with you two."

"She's nice," Xalo admitted, getting up from the bed and moving back over to the door. "But I'll still miss my video games."

Elphaba chuckled, feeling a little better; but as she watched her son leave the room, her smile faded. If something happened to him, or to Fawn...

She shook her head and rose to her feet again, continuing to pack a bag for the twins. They'd go to Munchkinland without notifying anyone. Frex and Nessa weren't celebrities of any kind and she'd kept them firmly out of the public eye, even better than she had the twins, mostly since they didn't have that much contact anymore. No-one who knew about her would know where her sister lived, if they even knew she had a sister, and that information couldn't be found anywhere online. They'd all be safe with Nessa for a little while and in the meantime, Fiyero would stay here at the Palace for a couple of extra days and discuss things with the head of security so that by the time they all returned, the building would be completely safe and no-one could get in anymore without their knowledge without a dozen alarms going off. That's what she was hoping, anyway.

When she carried the bags to the living room, it was to find Oscar, Galinda, and Fiyero already there, talking solemnly. They all looked up when she entered and she gave them a faint smile, even though she knew they were all worried about her. She looked terrible, too – she'd merely slipped into a pair of old jeans, a faded sweatshirt, and a pair of worn ballet flats before she'd started packing, not caring about her appearance since no-one outside of her family would see her, anyway. She hadn't even brushed her hair, just piled it on top of her head in a messy bun.

"Ready to leave?" Oscar asked and she nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Elphie," said Galinda, rising to her feet. "I've cleared your schedule for this week, but I wasn't sure what to do with your speech on Wednesday. Personally, I think it would be best to cancel it, especially since you'd have to drive all the way back here for it; but I know it's a very important event, so I wasn't sure."

Elphaba nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Glin. I really should do the speech, but…" She bit her lip.

Understanding, Galinda said gently, "I do have an idea, Elphie. I got a call from someone the other day asking you to speak at the opening of the children's hospital in the northern district of the City. It's next Thursday, so almost two weeks away, and it would be just as great an opportunity as the City Hall speech would have been. You could do that one instead and I'll just call the charity gala organisers the day before the event to let them know you're ill and can't come the next day."

"I think that's a better idea," said Fiyero, glancing at the dark-haired witch. "I don't like you being out in public at the moment, Fae."

She sighed, but relented. "I guess you're right," she said reluctantly. She nodded at Galinda. "You can do that. Thanks, Glin."

"Not a problem, Elphie." Galinda smiled at her friend. "Now, since you'll be in Munchkinland, I'm going to spend a lot of time running everything here and the rest of my time at home snuggling with my boyfriend this week; but if there's anything, anything at all, that you need my help with or that you think I should know, call me right away, okay? I want you to text me the moment you arrive at Nessa's tonight, too."

"We will," Oscar answered before Elphaba could say anything. "Don't worry. We'll keep you posted."

There would be two guards coming with them, although they were dressed in normal clothing and didn't carry any visible weapons. They didn't want anyone to know Elphaba was leaving the Palace; they couldn't risk her stalker following her to Munchkinland. Fiyero knew he'd feel better once he himself got to Munchkinland as well, but for now he really needed to stay here. What had happened last night couldn't happen again and he had to make sure security was tight enough to ensure that.

As one of the guards, who would also be driving, came to pick up their bags and tell them they were leaving, Elphaba got up as well; but Fiyero called her back. "Elphaba?"

She looked at him over her shoulder and he said, "It would be best if no-one saw you leaving the Emerald City at all."

She furrowed her brow. "I know."

"You'll be taking your own car – the one with bullet-proof glass and blinded windows," Fiyero continued. "Just in case, you know? We don't want anyone to see inside and realise who's in there."

She nodded, unsure of where he was going with this and mildly annoyed with the way he was skirting around the issue. "Get to the point, Fiyero."

"You can't open a window until you're safely out of the City – preferably not at all until you get to Munchkinland – and you can't stop," he blurted out and she stiffened, suddenly understanding what he meant. He gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Fae, but –"

"It's fine," she interrupted him, straightening her back and lifting her chin even though she could feel her heart pounding in her throat at the thought of being confined to a car for hours and being unable to open a window. Travelling had always been a struggle for her; technically, she could also fly to Munchkinland and it would take less than an hour, but there was no way anyone would ever get her into an airplane without using force. She travelled by train sometimes if she had to, but for long distances, she still preferred the car because she could make it stop so she could get out of it if she needed to and because she could keep a window open.

She had to, though, for her own safety and for her children, so she gritted her teeth and added, "Really. I'll make it work."

Fiyero looked concerned, but she just flashed him a glare, snapped, "I'm not made of sugar, you know," and then stomped out of the room.

Galinda sighed. "Don't take that personally," she advised the bodyguard. "She's putting on a brave face, but she's terrified – both about riding in a car with closed windows and about this whole stalker business – and when Elphie gets nervous or scared, she snaps."

"It's fine," he told the petite PA. "Do you want me to go get Fawn and Xalo?"

"I'll go," Oscar said and quickly hurried off in search of the twins.

"Do you think she'll be safe in Munchkinland, Fiyero?" Galinda asked, biting her lip, and Fiyero shrugged.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I'm inclined to say I'd rather have her stay here because the Palace is more secure, but the fact that someone stood in her bedroom for half an hour last night proves me wrong about that. To be completely honest, I don't think she's safe anywhere right now. I'll fix security here at the Palace as soon as possible, but that, too, is only a temporary solution. We need to find out who is behind this, Glin."

The blonde nodded. "I know," she said, her shoulders slumping a little. "But we've been talking around in circles like this ever since you got here. We need to find out who it is, but we don't know how; and in the meantime, these creepy things keep happening... you were _stabbed_ , Fiyero. I don't know if this guy knows yet that you survived, but if he does, he's not going to like it. You be careful, too."

Fiyero flashed her a grin. "I'm not that easy to kill," he said, attempting to lighten the mood, but Galinda just frowned at him.

"You would have been killed if Elphaba hadn't saved your life with her magic," she pointed out tartly. "You would do well to remember that."

He sighed, deflating as well. They were all on edge and none of them were in the mood for jokes or lightness right now. "I know."

Oscar returned with the twins just then and Fiyero and Galinda went outside with them to say good-bye. Galinda hugged the entire Thropp-Diggs family tightly and told them a thousand times to be careful. Fiyero had a quick talk with the guards accompanying them and then shook Oscar's hand before crouching down beside the twins.

"Now," he said in a conspiratorial voice. "You both know your mum is a little scared of driving in a car without the window open, right?"

They nodded and he continued, "So I'm going to need you two to look after her for me and make sure she's not so scared. Can you do that?"

More nodding.

Fiyero grinned at them. "Good. I'm proud of you two," he said, ruffling their hair with both his hands. "Take care of each other and of your mum and listen to her and your grandpa, okay? Don't go anywhere on your own. I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Will you take us rowing on the lake then?" Xalo asked hopefully and Fiyero nodded.

"Promise."

Fawn's face lit up at that, too, and the twins both gave him a quick hug before clambering into the car. Fiyero straightened up, only to come face to face with Elphaba, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at him.

"I don't need them looking after me," she sneered. "I don't need _anyone_ looking after me."

"I know," he said lightly. "But it makes them feel better if they feel like they have a bit of responsibility – like the important job of taking care of their mother. Didn't you always want to feel important at that age?"

She was still glowering at him. "I _was_ important at that age," she reminded him. "I was responsible for caring for my little sister in a wheelchair, remember?"

He grimaced – he'd forgotten about that for a moment. She huffed and he rolled his eyes, pulling her into a hug as well before she could protest.

"You're ridiculous," he said into her hair. "I know you can take care of yourself, but there's nothing wrong with allowing other people to take care of you every now and then, too." He pulled away, ignoring the bewildered look on her face. "Good luck," he said solemnly. "Benn and Rodger, those two guards you have with you, will be there to protect you if needed; but you should be fine. They'll also keep me updated on the journey and on your stay there – what you're doing, how it's going – so you don't have to bother with contacting me personally."

Now she was frowning again. "What makes you think contacting you personally would bother me?" she asked and he shot her an impish grin.

"I knew you'd take a liking to me eventually."

She glared daggers at him once again and he chuckled before stepping away. "Safe journey."

She was still glaring when she got into the car, and even after the door closed and he couldn't see her anymore, he was fairly certain she simply continued to glower at him through the blinded windows.

* * *

 **Hey, would you look at that - no cliffy! I wish I could say the same thing about the next chapter... (Actually, I don't.)**


	15. Family

**I still love reading about all your theories about the stalker. Let me put it this way: one of you has guessed something right, but of course I won't tell you who or what it is they guessed correctly. :P**

 **I would love to hear any of your favourite lines from this chapter! It's one of my favourite chapters in the story. :)**

* * *

 **15\. Family**

Elphaba's childhood home was a medium-sized house on the outskirts of a village in Nest Hardings. Due to his hatred of everything technological, Frex didn't have a car and, since Nessa wasn't exactly able to drive, neither did she. The both of them mainly stayed in and around the house, travelling by public transport if they had to. Despite its lack of technology, though, the house was pleasant. It had a small hallway, a comfortable living room, and a spacious kitchen on the ground floor and several rooms on the first floor, including Nessa's bedroom, Frex's, and a guest room. Elphaba was surprised to find that her own bedroom was still empty as well; she'd expected Frex to have turned it into an office or a storage closet or something, but her bed and wardrobe were still there. All the better, since the house wasn't exactly built to hold more than five people. For a short time, however, they didn't mind sharing rooms.

Nessarose was obviously happy to see her sister, but Elphaba could also see the worry in the younger girl's eyes. She greeted everyone cheerfully, offered them tea and lemonade, and then installed the twins in the living room with their drinks and some snacks. Oscar and the guards stayed to play board games with them. Nessa led Elphaba to the kitchen to talk.

"Now spill," she said and Elphaba told her younger sister everything Nessa didn't know yet about the man who was following her, including the events from the night before. When she was finished, Nessa slowly let out a breath she had been holding. "Sweet Oz."

"You could say that," Elphaba agreed, fishing her phone out of the pocket of her jeans to check it for new messages. There were five, as well as three missed calls. They were all from Galinda except for one text message, which was from Fiyero. Elphaba rolled her eyes as she scrolled through her best friend's texts.

 _Hey, Elphie. How are you doing? Have you arrived in Munchkinland yet?_

 _Oz to Elphie, over. You should have crossed the border by now, right? Please let me know if you're okay._

 _Elphaba Thropp, why aren't you answering me? Tried to call you, but you didn't pick up. Call me back. I'm worried._

 _This isn't funny. There's a stalker on the loose and you're not answering your phone. CALL ME._

 _Never mind, Fiyero called to tell me Benn told him you're safe. Guess you're just being your obnoxious self – or forgot to turn on the sound of your phone again. Have fun and tell Ness I said hi._

"Is everything okay?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba just flashed her a small grin. "Galinda says hi."

Nessa raised her eyebrows and Elphaba conceded, "Well, she said a lot more than that, but the essence of it is that she's telling you hi. She texted me and tried to call me, but I turned off the sound of my phone last night before I went to bed and I forgot to turn it up again. It's fine, though. She knows we're safe." She showed Nessa the messages and her sister giggled.

"Poor Galinda. I can imagine her being worried, though," she said, looking up at Elphaba. "Do you think you're safe here?"

Elphaba shrugged. "No way to tell," she said. "Just to be certain, I'm planning on staying around the house, or inside it, as much as I can. We have Benn and Rodger with us to protect us, two guards from the Palace in the City who were personally approved by Fiyero as being "adequately skilled" to have our backs; and Fiyero himself will be joining in a few days' time. I don't think the guy could have followed us here, so we should probably just treat this as a bit of a holiday, I guess. Oz knows I definitely need a break and I think it's good for Dad and the twins to be in a different environment for a while, too."

"You're very welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like," Nessa said, smiling. Her smile faltered. "Although Father will be returning in ten days' time."

"I don't expect to stay that long," Elphaba assured her little sister. "I've got business to think about, too, and so does Dad. We had a hard enough time arranging this little last-minute trip as it was; I don't think either of us could take more than five days off, perhaps a week if we really stretched things, but we'll definitely have to return to the City sometime next weekend."

"That's fine. I'm glad to have you all for any period of time," said Nessa and Elphaba bent down to hug her.

"I've missed you, Nessie," she said fondly and Nessa smiled, hugging her sister back.

"I missed you, too."

As they both moved back to the living room, Elphaba read the last message she'd received – the one from Fiyero.

 _Benn already called to let me know you arrived safely. How'd the trip go? No crazy magical explosions or fainting spells? ;)_

She scowled at her screen and quickly typed a reply.

 _Ha, ha. You're hilarious. Yes, we're here, and we're fine._

His reply came within a minute.

 _Good to hear it. Stay safe and away from small spaces, OK? At least until the handsome hero joins you all in savage Munchkinland in a few days to protect you with his life._

She snorted, her fingers flying over the screen.

 _Where are you going to find a handsome hero on such short notice?_

Again, he texted back within a minute.

 _Now who's being hilarious, Fae?_

She chuckled to herself and Nessa glanced at her curiously. "Who is that?"

"Fiyero," said Elphaba with a grin, putting her phone away. "He's an idiot, but he's not as bad as I first thought he was. I guess we're friends by now," she admitted. "I'm not even sure when that happened. Probably around the same time he got stabbed and my magic saved his life – or maybe when he rescued me when I was trapped in a storage closet with Avaric."

Nessa abruptly stopped wheeling. "Wait – _what_?!" she asked in a horrified tone of voice and Elphaba grimaced.

"Right. I didn't tell you about Avaric yet, did I?"

"Back to the kitchen," Nessa ordered, her tone making it clear she would bear no contradiction. "The twins probably shouldn't hear this, but _I_ definitely do."

* * *

The two sisters made dinner together and in the meantime, Elphaba told Nessarose everything from Avaric's first email to the party last weekend. Nessa kept on shaking her head incredulously as her sister talked.

"And now what?" she asked when Elphaba finished the story. "Are you going to let him into the twins' lives?"

Elphaba shook her head. "He said he didn't want to and I don't want him to, either," she said. "He saw them now. That should be enough for him."

Nessarose pursed her lips. "Do you think..." She broke off. "No, never mind. That would be silly."

"What?" Elphaba asked and Nessa sighed.

"Do you think maybe _he_ could be your stalker?"

"Avaric?" A shiver ran down Elphaba's spine. She hadn't even though of that possibility yet. "But... he didn't contact me until after at least one of the letters already arrived. I mean... if he wanted me back, don't you think he would have contacted me personally first? Or at least tried to?"

"Maybe." Nessa didn't look convinced. "I don't know, Fabala. It could be anyone, like you said, but wouldn't it be more likely that it's someone you know?"

Elphaba started pacing up and down the kitchen, racking her brain. Could it have been Avaric? The man she'd seen on the video footage of last night in her bedroom had been about the same height, and he'd had the same posture...

Then again, didn't lots of men have the same posture? If she was going just by that, then it might just as well have been Cohvu, or Fiyero, or even Duran or Gazilon. They were all about the same height and they all had approximately the same posture. It was hard to tell from a security camera recording, anyway – for all she knew, the guy's posture was closer to her father's.

She sighed. "I don't know, Ness," she said tiredly, rubbing her temples. "I really don't. It could be him, I suppose, but it could also be someone else. We don't have any clues at all."

"That much is true," Nessa amended and they lapsed into silence, neither sure of what else to say.

They had dinner, with the twins chattering to Nessa about everything they'd been doing since they last spoke to her and telling her all about their birthday party. They spent the evening playing board games together, just having fun and pushing their worries aside for a little while.

Unfortunately, however, the twins weren't through asking questions about Avaric. The moment the excitement of their sudden departure to Munchkinland wore off – which happened to be the same evening they arrived – their minds returned to matters they had been wondering about earlier.

"Mum?" Fawn asked when Elphaba was tucking her in that night. The twins were sharing Nessa's double bed, wanting to have a "sleepover" in their aunt's room while they were here; Nessa slept on a single bed that had been dragged in from one of the guest rooms.

Elphaba sat down on the edge of the bed and smoothed some dark brown hair away from Fawn's face. "Yes, sweetie?"

"That man at our party yesterday…"

She must have noticed the way her mother's face fell, because she trailed off and studied her mother closely. Beside her, Xalo propped himself up onto one elbow.

"You don't like him, do you, Mum?" he asked.

Elphaba shook her head. "You're right. I don't," she said.

"Why?"

The green woman bit her lip. "Because… because I've known him for a while already," she said slowly, "and although maybe he's changed now, he wasn't very nice when he was younger. Especially not to me."

Xalo looked puzzled. "But if you don't like him, why did you invite him to our party?" he asked in confusion.

Fawn, however, was regarding her mother sharply and Elphaba glanced at her. The little green girl seemed to contemplate something for a moment and then blurted out, "He's our father, isn't he?"

Elphaba was completely taken aback by that for a moment, but Xalo exclaimed instantly, "That's why he has the same eyes as you, Fawn!"

Two pairs of eyes settled on Elphaba now and she was having a hard time keeping herself composed. She remembered what Oscar had once told her. "I don't claim to be a parenting expert, Elphaba," he'd said, "especially not since you didn't come into my life until you were already seventeen; but my own parents always taught me that if children are ready to ask the questions, they're ready to hear the answers."

And so she heaved a sigh and then admitted quietly, "Yes, darlings. Avaric is your father."

Fawn let out a soft gasp and Xalo looked astounded by that revelation. "We've met our father," he whispered. "Cool."

"He was weird, though," Fawn said, wrinkling her nose. "And if he hurt Mum, then I don't like him."

Elphaba chuckled. "Listen to me." She crawled into the bed with them and pulled a twin against each of her sides. "Avaric may be your father, because all children have both a mother and a father," she explained. "Some people, though, aren't really suitable to be parents."

"And Avaric is one of them?" Fawn asked.

Elphaba nodded. "He is. I didn't think it would be good for you to have him around," she said. "That is why I have raised you by myself, along with Grandpa and Auntie Galinda and Uncle Cohvu."

They thought about that for a while, then nodded.

"Like I said, he was weird. I don't think he'd be a great father, either," Fawn said, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"Me, neither," said Xalo sleepily. "But still. I think I'd like to have a dad. Maybe not him, but a different dad."

Elphaba's smile was sad as she leaned over to kiss both her children good night. "Who knows, my little monkeys," she said softly. "Maybe one day." With that, she left them to sleep – hoping they would be able to handle this information and at the same time relieved that the cat was out of the bag.

* * *

The next few days were spent baking cakes and biscuits, taking walks, and playing more games. Occasionally, Benn and Rodger joined in as well and the two guards joined the family every time they left the house, just to be on the safe side. Slowly but surely, Elphaba found herself relaxing a little and she could tell Oscar felt the same.

Galinda informed her at some point that several people had enquired about the mayor and deputy mayor's whereabouts – some business relations, including the people involved in the charity gala Elphaba hadn't been able to attend, as well as some employees and some personal friends. Galinda told them all that both Oscar and Elphaba had come down with a nasty virus and had to stay in bed, figuring that was the safest thing to say so as not to alarm people.

 _Thanks, Glin,_ Elphaba texted her friend in reply. _Good thinking. I owe you one._

The blonde called her back. "Is everything all right, Elphie?" she asked. "Cohvu and I are a little worried."

"We're fine," Elphaba assured her. "We haven't been followed and we're all safe. It's nice to be out of the City for a while, not to mention seeing Nessa. Benn and Rodger are keeping an eye on us and Fiyero is arriving tomorrow, so don't worry about us."

"Good." Elphaba could hear the smile in Galinda's voice. "It will all resolve itself, Elphie. I promise."

Elphaba pursed her lips, playing with her hair. "I know."

"And the twins?"

The green woman sighed and told her friend about their conversation on the night of their arrival. Galinda was a little shocked to learn that the twins knew about their father now, but Elphaba reassured her they were taking it rather well and the blonde let the subject drop.

"Oh, by the way, Duran called," Galinda said. "He heard the illness story and since he knows about the stalker after having been attacked, he was worried about you. I told him the truth about you having taken a break and left the City – I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Elphaba assured her friend. "How is he?"

"You mean, has anything else happened to him?" Galinda asked knowingly. "No. He hasn't been near you again, remember? Your stalker would have had no reason to hurt him."

Elphaba had to acknowledge that that was true.

"Gazilon texted me, too, to ask about your illness and if it was anything serious, especially since he texted you last weekend and you never replied. I told him it was a long story but that you would be fine. He wants to meet up with you sometime in the near future."

"I know." Elphaba sighed. "I can't, though. Not yet."

"Anyway," the blonde continued, "Cohvu sends his love and so do I. Kiss the twins for me, will you? And let me know when you'll be returning to the City."

"I will," Elphaba promised. "Thanks for everything, Glin." She really was grateful to be able to leave everything in the capable hands of her blonde assistant. Between Galinda and her and Oscar's other employees, she was sure everything back home would be all right while she enjoyed some well-deserved time off in her home province.

On Thursday morning, Fiyero arrived, having taken an early flight from the Emerald City. He assured Elphaba and Oscar that security back at the Palace was as tight as it could be now.

"We've installed more cameras," he said. "There's an alarm on the doors to the fifth floor so no-one will be able to get to your private rooms anymore without security being alerted. More guards will be posted at all entrances to not just the building, but the grounds in general; and while we're away, they'll be installing electronic doors to all hallways that you need a pass to open, so no unauthorised people – including staff – can get through. Also, everyone who wants access to the fifth floor will be searched."

Elphaba smiled at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

He flashed her a grin in reply. "It's what I do."

He was quickly introduced to Nessa before being whisked away by the twins to go fishing at the lake with Benn and Rodger.

"Mum doesn't like fishing," Xalo told Fiyero. "Neither does Fawn."

"I think it's mean," the little green girl declared, crossing her arms. "How would _you_ like to get a hook stuck in your cheek?"

Fiyero made a face. "You can go back to your mum, if you want," he suggested, but she shook her head.

"I like being outside," she said.

He nodded and helped Xalo prepare his fishing rod. "Who taught you how to fish?"

"Boq," said Xalo. "He's a friend of Auntie Nessa's. He lives just down the road from her home. Mum thinks they're in love, but Auntie Nessa says that's not true."

"It's true," Fawn assured Fiyero, which made him laugh.

He and Xalo fished in silence for a while, with Fawn wandering around and Benn and Rodger unobtrusively keeping an eye on both children.

Fawn glanced over at the rowboat lying at a short wooden pier just down the beach. "Can we go rowing later? The boat's Boq's. I'm sure he won't mind – we always borrow his boat when we come here."

"Of course," said Fiyero, giving her a grin. To his slight surprise, she grinned back.

"Cool."

"Will your mum come, too?" Fiyero asked, but the twins shook their heads.

"She doesn't really like boats," said Fawn. "She never comes rowing with us. She and Auntie Nessa will probably come to watch, though."

"And Grandpa," Xalo added. His face brightened. "Can we go this afternoon? We could make food and have a big picnic by the lake!"

Fawn's eyes brightened and Fiyero nodded with a smile. "That sounds like a plan."

Xalo went back to fishing and Fawn to walking around, kicking at pebbles; and Fiyero couldn't help but smile and hope that this whole stalker business would come to an end soon. These kids deserved to have a normal life and Elphaba perhaps even more so.

They returned to the house a short while later and told the others about their plan. Everyone agreed and they all went straight into the kitchen to start working on lunch.

"Hey, kids," Fiyero said casually as he mixed some lemonade syrup with water. "How did your mum hold up on the way here?"

The twins exchanged a look.

Elphaba groaned. "Do you have to ask them?" she demanded. "I held up just fine, thank you very much."

"You did hold both our hands all the time," Xalo pointed out.

"And you insisted on sitting by the door and keeping the window open just a crack," Fawn added.

"And you were really quiet," Xalo said.

"You know, apart from that one time when you started freaking out," said Fawn.

Elphaba glared at them. "Thank you very much," she said sarcastically.

Fawn giggled and Xalo said innocently, "You're welcome, Mum."

Elphaba scowled and chopped violently at a cucumber for the sandwiches, but Fiyero just grinned at her. "There's no shame in that, you know," he said.

She sighed. "I know," she admitted. "But it feels like a weakness and I hate being weak."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. Both Oscar and Nessa were suppressing grins.

"You managed," Oscar said. "That's the most important thing."

Elphaba grumbled something under her breath and Fiyero nudged her hip with his as he joined her at the counter. "Don't do that. I'm proud of you."

"For staying in that car?" She snorted. "It's not like I had much of a choice."

"No," he acknowledged and he gave her another one of those infuriating, crooked grins. "But at least you didn't faint. Or cause magical explosions."

Her cheeks coloured and his eyes widened. "You caused a magical explosion?!"

"Not quite," she muttered. "Dad calmed me down in time."

He whistled between his teeth. "Yeesh, Fae."

"Shut up," she told him and he laughed and stole a slice of cucumber from the counter, popping it into his mouth as he moved over to Oscar to help him fill the basket.

They all moved outside not long thereafter. Elphaba and Oscar spread a blanket in the grass and installed Nessarose on it; the guards wandered around, examining the area and keeping an eye out for unwanted visitors; and the twins dragged Fiyero over to the rowboat attached to the pier. They pushed it onto the water and leapt inside, the kids cheering as Fiyero started rowing farther out onto the lake.

"I want to swim!" Xalo cried, but Elphaba quickly intervened from the blanket on the shore.

"It's way too cold for that," she told him sternly. "Stay inside that boat, Xalo."

He pouted. "But Mum!" he whined, earning himself an elbow between the ribs from his sister.

"Don't be a baby," she scolded him. "Mum's right. It's not nearly warm enough for swimming."

He grinned at her and splashed her with some water. She shrieked and threw herself at him, attempting to wrestle him out of the boat, but Xalo was bigger than his sister and managed to hold her off.

"Kids!" Fiyero shouted. "No rocking the boat!"

On the blanket, Elphaba, Oscar, and Nessarose were watching in amusement as the twins obediently sat down. Fiyero gave them a stern look, but the moment he looked away, Xalo stuck out his tongue at the bodyguard. Fawn giggled and as her brother continued to make faces at Fiyero, she suddenly struck and pushed Xalo out of the boat, into the water. He screamed like he was being strangled and Fawn asked innocently, "How do you like the temperature of the water, Xalo? Isn't it a little cold for swimming?"

Fiyero, laughing, let go of the oars and gently pushed Fawn aside so he could hang over the edge of the boat and hold out a hand to Xalo. "Need some help, buddy?"

Grumbling, Xalo took the man's hand and Elphaba exchanged a grin with Oscar and Nessa at her children's antics. She looked back at the boat just in time to see the explosion that tore it apart.


	16. Horrors

**I love it when you all go Caps Lock on me. Hope this chapter makes you feel better. An early one, because I'm seeing The Bodyguard for the third time tonight! :D**

* * *

 **16\. Horrors**

Elphaba was screaming.

She had leapt to her feet the moment she'd seen the boat explode, just like Oscar, even as Nessarose clamped both hands over her mouth in absolute horror. Her sister's desperate screams were the most terrible sound she'd ever heard and she knew that she would never forget this moment for the rest of her life. Vaguely, she was aware of the two guards shouting things at one another and dashing off, supposedly going after the person who did this.

On the lake, clouds of black and grey smoke surrounded the spot where the rowboat had been. They slowly lifted, revealing pieces of burning wood floating on the surface; and Elphaba suddenly couldn't hold herself up any longer. Oscar caught her and held her tightly against his chest, trying to shield her from the things she might see. She struggled weakly against him, however, keeping her eyes on the smoky clouds rising from the lake as if she could make her children and Fiyero appear safely if only she stared long and hard enough. When the clouds had dissipated completely, however, there wasn't a sign of any of them to be found.

"Where did they go?" Nessa whispered, her eyes wide and filled with tears. "Did the explosion…?"

She didn't finish her sentence, realising there was no way she could tell the others what she was afraid of without upsetting her sister even more; but obviously Elphaba could fill in the blanks herself. Her face contorted and she stopped struggling, instead slumping against her father's chest as she started crying disconsolately, sobs racking her body. It was the most desperate sound Nessa and Oscar had ever heard and it scared them, but they didn't know what they could do. They were utterly horrified themselves.

Suddenly, the young witch felt Oscar stiffen against her and he said urgently, "Elphaba, look!"

She raised her tear-stained face and glanced around, but then she saw it. In the lake, a safe distance from where the boat had been, was Fiyero – swimming as fast as he could even as he dragged both twins along with him.

With a wail, Elphaba detached herself from her father's arms and ran over to the part of the shore closest to them, running into the water to meet them. Fiyero had reached a shallow part of the lake by then and he swept Fawn up onto his hip, pulling Xalo along with one hand. The boy let go of him to run straight into his mother's arms and she hugged him so tightly she was afraid she'd crush him.

"Thank Oz," she sobbed, clutching Xalo to her. "Oh, thank Oz…"

"We're not there yet, Fae," Fiyero said grimly even as he rushed past her to gently place Fawn onto the sand. "Can you heal her?"

Only then did Elphaba notice that both Fiyero and Xalo were covered in burns. Fawn, however, looked like she was in much worse condition than they were and the dark-haired witch fell down onto her knees next to her daughter, holding her hands above Fawn's small body, but she was shaking so badly that she couldn't manage to direct the magic. Fawn moaned and Elphaba whimpered, desperately trying to get her magic to work.

"Stay with me, sweetie," she begged her daughter, fear gripping her when she realised how bad Fawn's injuries really were. She gave a frustrated cry of fear and terror and then she felt Fiyero placing his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently.

"You can do it," he told her. "You saved me, too, remember? You can do this. She'll be fine, Fae. Take a deep breath."

She hiccupped a sob. She felt Xalo sliding his hand into hers as he sat down beside her, looking at her with solemn, green-flecked brown eyes. "I'll help you, Mama."

She squeezed his hand gratefully, unable to speak, and she forced herself to follow Fiyero's advice and take a deep breath. She could feel Xalo's concentration as if it was her own and their magic mingled, soon streaming out of their hands easily and enveloping Fawn until it died down and the girl opened her eyes, sitting up groggily. Elphaba started sobbing again as she pulled her daughter into her arms and smothered her with kisses before wrapping her arms around both her children, hugging them close like she was never going to let them go again. She healed Xalo's superficial burns as well and held them for a long time, her eyes squeezed shut as she allowed herself to believe that they were all right. They weren't dead – they were alive and they were going to be okay.

Oscar joined them then, embracing his grandchildren as well, but Fiyero ushered them all away. "We should go back to the house," he said, nervously glancing around. "The guy who did this could still be out here."

He didn't see Benn or Rodger anywhere. They would return to the house soon enough, though, he knew – either with or without a clue about who had done this and why, although they could probably make an educated guess. Somehow, Elphaba's stalker must have followed them here. Fiyero couldn't help but wonder if the bomb had been meant for him; after all, it wouldn't be the first attempt on his life because of his close proximity to Elphaba. It would change things, however, if this stalker now started dragging innocent children into this as well.

Elphaba kept her arms around the twins protectively as Oscar helped Nessa into her chair and they all made their way back to the house, the silence only broken by the quiet sobbing Elphaba just couldn't seem to stop. She'd never been so terrified in her entire life.

Once inside, Nessarose comforted the twins as Oscar heated some milk in the microwave for hot chocolate. Elphaba, meanwhile, surprised Fiyero by suddenly throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.

"Thank you," she cried. "You saved their lives!"

"That wasn't me, actually," he told her with a tired smile even as he hugged her back. "It was Fawn. The moment the explosion went off, her magic reacted to the danger and transported all three of us away from the boat, just in time. She has great reflexes."

Elphaba laughed a little hysterically through her tears, still clinging to Fiyero. "I was always so worried they'd inherit my powers, because they've always felt more like a curse to me. I never thought I'd be happy about it." She looked up at him. "And even if Fawn saved your lives, you got them out of the water," she said, her voice catching. "Xalo could never have saved an injured Fawn without your help. So thank you."

"Not a problem, Fae." He gently patted her back. He could feel her trembling violently against him and, mildly alarmed, he said, "Hey. It's okay – they're okay. They're fine, Fae, really. It's all right."

"I – I thought," she hiccupped, squeezing her eyes shut again with her face still pressed into his shirt. "I thought you were all dead!"

"We're not," he soothed her. "It's all right. The twins are fine, Fae – both of them. Calm down."

She did, eventually, and then pulled away from him. "What about you?" she asked, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. "Are you all right?"

He shrugged. "Nothing that won't heal on its own," he said, but she would have none of that. After glancing over at Fawn and Xalo again, who were each perched on one of Nessa's knees, she forced herself to steady her breathing and healed Fiyero's burns as well.

She disappeared from the kitchen to help the twins change into some dry clothes and by the time she came back down the stairs, Fiyero was wearing clean clothes as well and he and the others had moved into the living room and started a fire in the old-fashioned fireplace there. Oscar gave each of the children a mug of hot chocolate and Nessa handed one to Fiyero and another to Elphaba.

"You two look like you could use it, too," she said with a small smile and Elphaba chuckled mirthlessly.

"I think I could use something much stronger than this," she said wryly, "but thanks, Ness."

Nessa gave her a disapproving look, but Fiyero just snorted in agreement.

They sat in silence. Elphaba's gaze never left her kids, but her mind was racing. Who was doing this? Why? How had he known they would be here in Munchkinland when they had been so careful to make sure they weren't followed? Who had been his target – the twins, Fiyero, or Elphaba herself? How could they ever figure out what was going on and put a stop to it if they didn't seem to get a step further?

The doorbell rang and everyone tensed. Elphaba made to get up, but Fiyero stopped her, shaking his head at her. He pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans and moved towards the door.

"Can you still shoot that?" Nessa whispered, her eyes wide. "It got wet, remember?"

Fiyero flashed her a reassuring, though slightly grim, smile. "Trust me," he said. "That doesn't matter."

Nessa looked unsure. "Okay."

"Modern guns can get wet and they'll still work," Oscar told her. "Don't worry, Nessa, Fiyero knows what he's doing."

The wheelchair-bound girl nodded, seeming more convinced now.

The bell rang again and Fiyero went down the hallway, ready to fire his gun as he used one hand to open the door. When he saw who was on the other side, however, he lowered the weapon.

"Don't worry!" he called over his shoulder to the others as he stepped aside to let Benn and Rodger in. He closed the door behind them and the three of them went back to the living room, where everyone relaxed upon seeing the two guards.

"Did you catch him?" Xalo asked enthusiastically. "Did you shoot him and torture and interrogate him and then killed him and dumped his body in the lake?"

Elphaba gave him a bewildered look, eyes narrowed. "Where do you get such ideas?" she demanded.

Xalo flushed and guiltily glanced at Oscar, who tried his best to look inconspicuous. Elphaba's eyes narrowed further as she glared at her father, but she decided to leave this discussion for another time.

Rodger ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head in response to the boy's question. "No," he said tiredly. "We caught sight of him and we tried to shoot him. At some point I thought we hit him, but he was gone so fast, it can't have been more than a graze."

"He was around, then," Oscar concluded, looking a little pale, and both guards nodded.

"We found a detonator in the grass on the far side of the lake shore," Benn told them. "Our guess is that he must have known somehow that you were going to use the rowboat and that he planted a bomb inside of it. He must have been waiting around to press the button and make it explode at a moment when you were all inside of it."

Oscar frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense," he objected. "Why would he wait so long? They'd been rowing around in that thing for at least ten minutes already by the time it exploded. Why would he choose to detonate the bomb when Xalo wasn't even inside the boat?"

"Maybe the bomb was set on a timer and it didn't go off, so he had to improvise," Benn suggested.

Rodger added grimly, "Or maybe the twins were not his target."

They fell silent at that. Elphaba's eyes were wide and she stared at Fiyero, making him shift a little uncomfortably under her gaze.

"They weren't," she said, absolutely certain of that. "Why would anyone want to kill my children, anyway?" She squeezed Fawn closer and ran her hand over Xalo's head. "He wasn't aiming for either of them. They may have been collateral damage and he probably wouldn't have cared, but they weren't his main target. Fiyero was."

Now all eyes were on the bodyguard and he cringed.

"Think about it," the green woman said. "He targeted you before, didn't he? If he somehow knows you survived the stabbing and he still thinks you're with me, or something ridiculous like that…"

Understanding and horror dawned in Fiyero's eyes at the same time, but before he could say anything, Benn cut in.

"That's all nice and well," he said, "but the point is that this guy attacked – _again_ – and we didn't catch him. It started out with letters, but it's grown into far more than that."

"What should we do?" Oscar asked him and he shrugged.

"Return to the Palace as soon as possible," he said. "It's secure now, isn't it? It's probably the safest place for Deputy Mayor Thropp to be – not to mention for Fiyero and the kids."

Elphaba glanced at her children and then at her sister. "What about Nessa?" she asked. "I won't just leave her here for that guy to find."

"Miss Thropp is not his target," Rodger explained patiently to her. "He wouldn't attack her."

"You don't know that," Elphaba countered. "He might attack her to get to me!"

Nessa held up a hand. "Fabala, please," she said, trying for a watery smile. "He doesn't want to hurt you – he wants to be with you and keep other men away from you. I'm not a threat to him. He won't come here again if he knows you've left. I will go and stay with Boq until Father returns and you won't have to worry about me – I'll be perfectly safe."

Elphaba still looked worried and Rodger pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'll give the Palace a call," he told the deputy mayor, "and I'll have them send over some reinforcements. Some extra guy and I will stay here with Miss Nessarose while Benn, Fiyero, and the others return with you to the Emerald City. We'll keep an eye out for anything unusual and we'll protect your sister."

The dark-haired witch slowly let out a breath. "Thank you," she said.

Rodger disappeared into the hallway to make his call, but he returned quickly, carrying a piece of paper. "Miss Nessarose? You've got mail," he said, handing her the letter.

Nessa frowned and accepted the envelope from him. "That's strange. The postman usually comes earlier in the day." She started opening the envelope and pulled out a letter, but Elphaba already knew whom it was from before she saw the strange handwriting that differed with every sentence and before Nessa read it out loud.

 _Didn't I tell you not to make me angry, Elphaba? If you won't get rid of your boyfriend, I will. I do apologise for dragging your children into it, but you hardly gave me much of a choice. You're supposed to be with me, not him. Consider this a warning._

Nessa gasped, Oscar paled, and the twins gaped first at their aunt and then at their mother, whose face had turned ashen as well.

"He was here," Nessa whispered. "He was close enough to the house to deliver that letter…"

"Maybe he still is," Oscar said, straightening. "Elphaba, can't you cast that spell? Sense his presence the way you did with Xalo when he went missing during the party?"

Elphaba got a distant look in her eyes, her lips moving as she whispered the spell. She closed her eyes for a moment, but then she opened them again and shook her head.

"I can't feel him," she said, feeling like bursting into tears – with fear or frustration, she wasn't sure. "There are too many people out there."

"Can't you distinguish which one's him?" Oscar demanded, but she shook her head.

"That only works with people I know very well," she said, obviously frustrated. "Right now I can sense every villager in the proximity of the house, but there's no-one who stands out all by himself. I don't know who he is, so I can't look for him specifically."

Oscar cursed, which made Nessa gasp again. She gave him a disapproving look just as Elphaba snapped, "Watch your language, Dad. I'd rather not have my children swearing like thugs at age nine."

"Sorry," he muttered, glancing at the twins.

They spent the rest of the day inside, waiting for the reinforcements from the City to arrive. By the time they did, it was late in the evening and Fawn and Xalo were already asleep; Nessarose managed to convince everyone to stay the night and leave in the morning. The guards secured the house and the others all went to bed, although Elphaba was sure no-one really slept. When she turned onto her side for the umpteenth time, only to have the red numbers on her alarm clock inform her it was now almost three in the morning, she gave up and threw the blankets back, pulling on a pair of slippers and wrapping a cardigan around herself before making her way down the hall. She checked on Nessa and the twins and when she was satisfied they were all safely asleep, she moved down the stairs. Maybe a cup of tea would help her sleep… or maybe she could locate her father's bottle of Munchkin whiskey. Yes, that definitely sounded like a good idea.


	17. Passion

**The chapter you've all been waiting for! (Well, a lot of you, anyway.) As a reward for all the lovely reviews you've been leaving. :)**

* * *

 **17\. Passion**

Elphaba stiffened when she heard footsteps, freezing with her glass of whiskey halfway to her mouth, but she relaxed a little when she realised the footsteps were coming down the stairs. It was probably just someone else who couldn't sleep. When Fiyero appeared in the doorway, she merely gave him a tired smile. "Hi."

"Hey," he said, obviously startled. "I, um… couldn't sleep. I figured maybe some milk or tea would help."

Elphaba wordlessly held out the bottle of whiskey she'd found and Fiyero's eyes brightened.

"Or that," he agreed, taking a seat at the table across from her. She poured him a glass and shoved it over to him, making him groan a little with satisfaction as he took a sip. "Thanks. I really needed that."

"Not just you," she muttered, taking another sip from her own glass as well.

He glanced at her. "You didn't strike me as the drinking type," he observed. "And yet with Duran I saw you drink, and then with me on that friendship date, too…"

She grumbled. "Please don't think I'm some kind of alcoholic. I almost never drink, actually, but with the recent stress… I guess I've been letting myself go a little. I don't even _like_ wine," she confessed, which made him laugh; and he only laughed harder when she wrinkled her nose and added, "Or whiskey, for that matter," emphasising that statement by taking another gulp from her glass.

"I can't blame you there," he said. "With regard to the things that have been happening lately, I'd say you deserve a drink. Or twenty."

She chortled, but quickly sobered again. "Yero… thank you again for saving the twins," she said, meeting his gaze. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for that."

His face fell and he looked down into his glass. He sighed. "I didn't do anything, Fae. They did most of the work themselves," he muttered.

Surprised by the change in him, she frowned. "You were quiet this afternoon, too," she observed. "It's very unlike you. What's going on? Spit it out."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't you see it, Elphaba?" he asked unhappily. "Regardless of whether I saved them or not, they wouldn't have needed saving in the first place if it weren't for me. I was the target. If I hadn't been there, the kids wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"And if I hadn't been there, none of us would have these problems in the first place, because it's me this guy actually wants," she retorted. "That is ridiculous reasoning, Fiyero. This wasn't your fault."

"But it was," he insisted. "I'm supposed to protect you. Instead, I'm only putting you in more danger."

She rested her arms on the table and put her chin on top of them. "It wasn't your fault," she repeated, sounding weary. "It wasn't anyone's fault but the stalker's. We just… we need to find a way to end this." She sighed, rubbing her temple. "Even thinking about it is giving me a headache right now – or maybe that's the whiskey."

Fiyero chuckled, but she could tell his heart wasn't in it and she reached out to lay her hand over his. "Yero," she said gently. "Stop it. It _wasn't_ your fault."

He nodded, clearly unconvinced, and she changed the subject. "Nessa suspects Avaric of being our guy."

Fiyero frowned a little as he considered that. "It would fit, in a way," he said slowly. "Didn't the letters start around the same time he first emailed you about the twins? It's possible that he developed some kind of obsession with you after finding out you had his children and that he convinced himself he's in love with you. Maybe that's why he emailed you again."

"But he keeps insisting he doesn't want anything from me," Elphaba objected.

Fiyero shrugged. "That could be a lie," he said. "A façade, to keep suspicion off himself. Or it could really be someone else. I don't know. It's an option we should consider, though – it would explain the stalker's jealousy towards other men, in a way. Especially if he doesn't want anyone else to become a father to his children."

"If the twins are so important to him, though, why would he risk hurting them with that bomb?" Elphaba wanted to know.

"It could have been a mistake," Fiyero speculated. "Maybe he wasn't counting on the twins to be there and potentially get hurt."

"But Benn and Rodger found a detonator in the grass. He saw they were with you when he made the bomb go off."

Fiyero chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Maybe he doesn't care about them much, just about you. Maybe that's why he chose that particular moment to detonate the bomb, when Xalo was in the water – to give him a better chance at survival. He didn't _really_ want to kill the kids, but he would if he had to in order to get me."

Elphaba looked aghast at the idea and he added, "Or maybe the detonator malfunctioned somehow, or maybe it wasn't Avaric after all."

She nodded, deflating. "So basically, we still don't know anything."

"We don't," Fiyero confirmed, frowning again as he thought it all over. "It's definitely something worth looking into, though."

Elphaba hid a yawn behind her hand. "Ugh. Maybe I should try to get some sleep after all now."

He nodded. "Good idea." He rose to his feet and put their empty glasses and the bottle away, offering her his hand. She took it and twined their fingers together, tiredly leaning her head against his shoulder as they made their way back into the hallway and up the stairs. He walked her over to her old bedroom, which she had to herself on this trip since the twins were in Nessa's room, Fiyero and the guards were sharing the guest room just down the hall, and Oscar had been installed in Frex's bedroom. They lingered at the door, neither of them really wanting to return to the darkness by themselves.

"Yero?" she said quietly.

He made a non-committal sound in his throat and she laid her hands against his chest, looking up at him.

"I know it seemed like I only cared about the twins' safety this afternoon, but… well, I wasn't just concerned about them, you know." She blushed a little and she was glad he couldn't see that in the dark. "I'm really glad you're all right, too."

He looked down at her, their eyes meeting, and they just stared at one another for a while. She could see his gaze flit down to her lips for a brief moment; she saw his throat bob as he swallowed and she felt his breath and heartbeat quicken a little under her hands. She glanced at his lips, too, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. He'd probably be a great kisser, what with his reputation and all.

And why not? She hadn't been with anyone since Avaric – the one and only time she'd done anything with a boy and it had been horrible. She'd never dared to open up to any man again after that, but Fiyero was different. They were already friends; he knew the things about her only her closest friends and family members knew and despite her reservations in the beginning, perhaps even despite her better judgement, she trusted him. Besides, she was no longer an insecure school girl – she was an adult now. It didn't have to mean anything. It would just be nice.

Just as she was thinking that, he swallowed again and he made to move away. "'Night, Fae."

"Wait." She grabbed his hand before he could take a step and she pulled him back to her, their lips crashing together. She stepped back, guiding him into the room with her without breaking the kiss. She let her tongue trail along his lips and she felt his mouth open, allowing her to deepen the kiss as she buried her fingers in his sandy hair. Oz, this was so much better than she'd ever imagined it to be. Why had she waited so long?

Maybe she'd just been waiting for the right person, though. She considered that as she pulled him back onto the bed with her, his body heavy against her own as they continued to kiss. The fingers of his one hand were running through her own hair, cradling the back of her head to keep her face close to his; his other hand was gliding down her arm, down to her waist, and then back up, tracing her spine with his fingertips. She arched her back and sighed against his lips, hooking one leg around him. "Yero…"

"You're not going to slap me for this later, are you?" he murmured against her lips and she let out a throaty chuckle, her fingers already dancing along the hem of his shirt.

"No," she breathed. "I had entirely different ideas about what I want to do to you, actually."

He kissed her again before allowing her to pull his shirt off, even as his own hands started roaming her body a little more boldly. She smiled and pulled back a little to look at him, her eyes dark and glistening slightly in the faint light.

"I never knew this could be so good," she confessed. "I mean, the only experience I've had really sucked. Maybe I should have tried this sooner." She gave him a mischievous grin, but Fiyero froze suddenly, staring at her in mild horror.

She grimaced in embarrassment, catching her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm sorry. Talking about past experiences is the biggest mood killer _ever_. Ugh, please forget I said that." She tried to kiss him again, but he stopped her.

"Fae," he said, rolling off her and falling down onto the bed next to her on his back, trying to catch his breath. "Oz dammit, I should have realised. I'm sorry."

"What?" she asked, genuinely confused. "You should have realised what?"

He turned his head to look at her. "You've had _one_ experience," he stressed, "and that one sucked, as you so eloquently put it. Have you ever even kissed anyone else aside from Avaric?"

She shook her head, her cheeks flushing. "Not until two minutes ago," she said cheekily and he chuckled softly, then sobered.

"That's my point," he said. "We shouldn't do this now. The next time you do this, it should be with someone you love, when you've both taken your time to get to know the other and when you feel ready. Not with someone you may or may not have some weird spark of attraction with after your children nearly got killed and you have both alcohol and adrenaline coursing through your veins in the middle of the night. I'm not going to take advantage of you – not after everything you told me about what Avaric did."

She hated to admit it, but he sort of had a point, she supposed. She heaved a frustrated sigh. "Oz, Yero, talk about killing the mood…"

He grinned. "Sorry."

"You're not really," she muttered.

He eyed her suggestively, from her dark eyes and swollen lips to the gorgeous figure she usually hid in stiff or baggy clothing. "Trust me," he said, his voice husky. "I really am."

She tilted her head a little to the side, a mischievous twinkle coming into her eyes. "Don't be," she purred, pushing herself up and climbing over him, leaning down to bring their faces so close their breaths mingled. "We can still do a lot of other things," she whispered, grinning wickedly. "I mean… I have no objections against kissing. Do you? We already did that, anyway, so what could it hurt?"

A grin slowly spread across his own face as well when he realised she was right and he hauled her back against him, kissing her senseless.

* * *

Awakening in the morning was awkward. Elphaba found herself half sprawled on top of Fiyero, her face buried in his neck and one of her legs tangled with his, and for a moment she wondered if they'd had sex after all. Then she realised they were both still fully dressed – not counting Fiyero's shirt, which was on the floor – and she sighed, rolling away from him and covering her eyes with her arm. Oz, what had she done? She'd just attacked him like some desperate harlot! Had she even given him a choice in the matter?

Not that he'd seemed to mind it much. He still didn't, she thought, watching as his hand groped around, apparently missing her beside him. He groaned and squinted at her.

"Hey," he muttered sleepily. "What time is it?"

She shrugged. "Alarm clock is on your side of the bed."

He turned his head and moaned. "A quarter past seven. Too early. Get back here."

"We're not a married couple," she bit at him, probably a little harsher than she had meant to. "We fell asleep together last night, but let's not make that a regular thing."

"Why not?" he queried, giving her a lopsided grin that was even cuter than usual because it was so drowsy. "I wouldn't mind making it a regular thing."

She ignored him, pushing her hands through her tangled hair. "Oz, this was stupid," she muttered. "Why did we do this?"

"Because you pretty much dragged me in here with you last night?" he joked and she glared at him. He laughed, shaking his head. "Fae, we just kissed. It's not a big deal." He hesitated, then added, "Unless you want it to be."

She flared up. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "There's nothing between us, Fiyero. It's nice being friends with you and now I ruined that last night, because things are going to be awkward now and we can't even afford that because there's an Oz-forsaken _stalker_ on the loose and all that because I couldn't keep my stupid hormones under control and now you want to, what? Date?"

"Slow down," he told her, running his hand over his face and rubbing his eyes. "You're giving me a headache so early in the morning. Elphaba, if you don't want it to mean anything, then it didn't mean anything. It was nice and now it's over and we can go back to being friends. I won't be awkward about it if you won't be and all of this has nothing to do with my capability – or willingness – to protect you and your family."

She looked at him uncertainly.

"Why _did_ you kiss me?" he asked her. "Not that I minded, obviously, but… well, it came a bit unexpected."

She shrugged. "Maybe you were right about the combination of adrenaline and alcohol in the middle of the night," she admitted. "Although I do think there's been something between us for a while already."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I noticed that, too. There's nothing wrong with attraction, Fae – even to someone you hated in the beginning."

"I didn't hate you!" she protested. He raised his eyebrows at her and she sighed in frustration. "Fine, maybe I did. A little. You hurt my son on your first day!" she reminded him hotly.

"That's beside the point," he said. "My point is that sometimes two people are just attracted to one another and if you don't want to act on that, that's fine too. We were friends first, Fae, and that hasn't changed. I'm the one with all the experience, but I'd never take advantage of you. It's up to you if you want to do anything with all this or not."

She finally lay back down, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about everything. Fiyero reached for her and when she didn't protest, he pulled her into his arms, nuzzling her hair. "Your hair smells nice," he mumbled. "Like rain. And flowers."

She shuddered. "Now you're being weird."

He grinned and put his arms around her again. She heaved another sigh.

"Fiyero?" she asked. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"A relationship?" he echoed dumbly and she rolled her eyes.

"I think you know what a relationship is, Yero," she said drily. "Man, woman, kissing, dates, possibly sex, lots of feelings – and I'm referring to the actual boyfriend-girlfriend kind of thing, not just casual sex."

He thought about that for a moment and then had to admit, "No. Casual sex, yes – lots of it – but never an actual relationship. That has always felt too… I don't know. Committed."

"Like studying and becoming an adult?" Elphaba asked knowingly and Fiyero made a face.

"Well… yeah," he said. "I fell in with the wrong crowd when I was a teenager and I could never really shake their influence. I told you, I was supposed to take over my dad's job as president of the bank and that seemed like a lot of responsibility, not to mention something I didn't even want. I never liked the idea of running a business or working for a company. I preferred to do my own thing – something cool, like…"

"Being a professional bodyguard?" Elphaba filled in again and he looked at her in mild surprise, as if not expecting her to see through him like this.

"Exactly. I never wanted to grow up. Getting kicked out of the house forced me to, and I do believe I'm better for it now, but… well, commitment is still something I'm not used to."

She pursed her lips. "Have you ever even been in love?"

He shook his head. "I never really got to know any of the girls I slept with," he confessed. "I mean… it's never been the way it's with you. I never befriended a girl or woman first and then somehow ended up in her bed." He grinned at the way Elphaba flushed at that. "It feels… different."

"Maybe you're in love with _me_ ," she teased him, chuckling at her own joke even as she pushed herself off the bed. She had her back to him, so she didn't see the way he stiffened at that or the realisation dawning on his face.

* * *

 **Aww, poor Fiyero... He's so brainless he didn't even realise before! Don't worry, though, this won't be dragged out very long. They're both adults in this, after all. Still, if you want to encouragerise Fiyero a little, reviews are the way to do it! :P**


	18. Hypothetical

**18\. Hypothetical**

Fiyero was pretty sure he _was_. In love with Elphaba, that was. He supposed he'd known for a while now, deep down, but it had taken her telling him – however jokingly – for him to realise that it was true.

He thought at first that maybe it was just his friendship with her that made him feel this way. She was his friend, but she was also a gorgeous woman, so wasn't it only natural for him to feel attracted to her? Did that really mean anything? Sure, he thought she was witty and passionate; she made him laugh and she could really be quite sweet, even gentle, when she wanted to be. Her smile made his stomach flip, he liked being around her and he loved the sound of her laugh, but couldn't that just be friendship, too?

Well, he thought wryly to himself as he nursed his cup of coffee, watching Elphaba chase the twins around the kitchen, the answer is no. He could stay in denial about it a bit longer, but he didn't see the point in that. If he had learned anything from his life alone, after his parents kicked him out, it was that beating around the bush never got anyone anywhere. First, though, he'd try to figure out how _she_ really felt.

"Upstairs!" Elphaba commanded. " _Now_!"

"Fiyero!" Xalo cried, hiding behind the bodyguard's back. "Save us!"

He laughed wearily. "Sorry, kiddo," he said, ruffling Xalo's hair. "Listen to your mum. We'll have to go home soon and you don't want to travel in your pyjamas, do you?"

Both twins considered that for a moment, but then decided that they indeed did not want that and they went upstairs.

Elphaba sighed, blowing a lock of hair out of her face as she sat back down. "Thanks." She glanced around. Only Nessarose was still in the kitchen now, reading the newspaper as she ate her breakfast, looking sleepy and apparently not paying attention to her sister and the bodyguard at all. All the guards were scattered inside and around the house, arranging some last-minute things and lifting the luggage into the car, while Oscar was hogging the shower in the only bathroom in the house. "Yero?"

"Mmh?"

Elphaba tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, gathering her long, straight hair and tying it together in a high ponytail. "Hypothetically speaking," she said slowly, snapping the elastic band in place and lowering her arms again. "What if I said I did want more? More than just casual kissing, I mean. Or casual sex, for that matter."

He stared at her. Apparently she'd been thinking along the same lines he had that morning.

"I'm not saying I do," she told him sternly. "This is purely hypothetical."

He nodded, although he was not by far convinced of that. It made him feel giddy, though. "I suppose I would then say, hypothetically speaking, that I'd like to take you on a date."

"You would?" she asked in surprise.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm the green, prickly, cold deputy mayor who also happens to be a single mum to two kids and has a stalker after her," Elphaba pointed out.

"The stalker is hardly your fault," Fiyero said. "The green is beautiful, the prickly and cold part turned out to not even be true once I got to know you better, and I think the kids are great. Besides," he added, "it would be a date, not a wedding."

She relaxed visibly at that latter statement, her shoulders losing their tension. "I suppose."

Carefully, he probed, "So did you want to make this hypothetical situation less hypothetical?"

She looked at him, her gaze just as cautious as his. "Perhaps."

From the corner, Nessa suddenly piped up, "For Oz's sake, just come out and say it. Both of you. Go on a date once you're back in the City and stop acting like two infatuated teenagers."

"Oh, look who's talking," Elphaba retorted instantly, arching one eyebrow. "Does that mean you'll be going over to Boq's soon to finally tell him how you really feel?"

Nessa's cheeks coloured and the green woman smirked triumphantly at her younger sister.

"She's right, though," Fiyero said, causing Elphaba's gaze to snap back to him. "Fae… I'd love to take you on a date."

Nessa giggled and Elphaba shot her an angry look before looking back at Fiyero. "Okay," she agreed, figuring she didn't really have anything to lose. Nessa was right. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She was a grown woman and she'd been alone for long enough; she could just go out with Fiyero a few times and see where things went, no strings attached. "Although technically you've already taken me on one."

"That was a friendship date," Fiyero protested. "That didn't count."

She smirked at him and he couldn't help but smile in reply.

* * *

The drive back to the Emerald City went by mostly in silence.

Elphaba had been sad upon saying good-bye to her sister and she could tell the twins didn't like leaving so soon, either, although Fawn had quietly confessed to her that she was glad they'd be going home after what had happened the day before. Elphaba herself was anxious about Nessa, wondering if she'd be all right, but she had to have faith in the security guards that were staying behind. Besides, she knew Nessa had never even been a target, anyway.

Fiyero was driving the car now, with Elphaba in the passenger seat next to him. Right behind them were Oscar and the twins. Benn and the other guards returning to the City with them were driving ahead of them, keeping an eye out for anyone following.

Elphaba sneaked a glance at them over her shoulder every now and then, slightly worried about how her children were taking all this, but they seemed to be doing just fine; Oscar was distracting them by pointing out things outside the windows and playing games with them.

"I spy with my little eye something… green!" said Oscar brightly and the twins heaved a deep, annoyed sigh in unison.

"Is it me?" Fawn asked flatly, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.

Oscar shook his head, grinning. "Nope."

"Then it's Mum," Xalo concluded, sounding bored. Oscar looked startled and the twins giggled.

"Too obvious," Elphaba advised her father from the passenger seat. "Find something more difficult."

She looked tired, Fiyero thought, with dark circles under her eyes. She was playing absently with her phone without actually using it, simply clicking the screen on and off the entire time as she watched the landscape roll by outside the windows. She'd asked him if she could open a window this time, given the fact that the stalker already knew she was in Munchkinland, anyway; but Fiyero had carefully advised against it. Not so much to hide her from the stalker as to protect her from him, just in case – the windows were made of bullet-proof glass, after all.

"Are you okay?" he murmured and she flashed him a weary smile that didn't reach her eyes. She scooted over, just managing to lean her head against his shoulder, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Fine," she said. "Just tired."

She glanced out of the window and Fiyero added knowingly, "And scared."

"And scared," she admitted. She shuddered a little and Fiyero put his free arm around her for a moment, squeezing her gently before returning his attention to the road.

"I know it may not seem that way now," he said, "but everything will work out in the end, I promise."

"You can't promise such a thing," she muttered. "I appreciate you trying to making me feel better, Fiyero, but I'm not a child. I know it's not realistic to think that all this will play out without anyone getting hurt – again," she added, lightly touching the spot on his abdomen where she knew the scar to be hiding under his shirt, "or worse."

He sighed. "Maybe not," he conceded. "But I'll try my best."

"I know." She closed her eyes again. "Thank you."

To an observer not paying too close attention, it might seem like Elphaba slept during the trip, but Fiyero knew better. He could feel the constant tension in her shoulders and the fact that she was shivering just the slightest bit all throughout the ride home. He rubbed her arm and nuzzled her hair, touching her as much as he could in an attempt to comfort her, but he knew she would only really relax once she was out of the car again. He started softly singing a silly song into her ear, which made her smile a little despite herself. Her smile made him smile, too. She had a beautiful smile. It made her look even more radiant than her vibrant skin colour already did.

Behind them, Xalo whispered, "Grandpa? Are Mum and Fiyero in love?"

"I think so," Oscar whispered back.

Without opening her eyes, Elphaba said sternly, "Dad."

Oscar chuckled and the dark-haired witch opened her eyes and sat up, twisting in her seat to look at her children. "We're not in love," she told them and Fiyero's heart sank a little, but then she added, "But we do like each other very much, yes. You know what a date is, don't you?"

Both of them nodded and Elphaba continued, "Well, Fiyero asked me to go on one when we get back to the City. We'll see where it goes from there."

Xalo nodded. Fawn tilted her head a little to the side, her emerald eyes piercing as she looked from her mother to Fiyero and back.

"What if you do fall in love?" she asked. "Are you going to get married then?"

"Maybe," said Elphaba. "Not anytime in the near future, though."

Xalo sucked in his breath excitedly. "But if you get married, won't Fiyero be our new dad?"

Fiyero shifted and clutched the steering wheel a little tighter, uncomfortable, as Elphaba looked at the twins earnestly. "Tell me – and be honest," she said. "Fiyero and I are not going to get married anytime soon – possibly not ever at all – but if we do," she glanced at Fiyero for a moment with a slight smirk, "hypothetically speaking…"

He rolled his eyes at her, but he was grinning.

"…would you guys mind having him become part of our family?" Elphaba finished, meeting her children's gazes.

"Cool!" Xalo cried, sitting up straight at the mere idea. "I've always wanted a dad! And Fiyero is, like, awesome!"

Elphaba inadvertently smiled a little, but she was still looking anxiously at Fawn.

The little green girl looked thoughtful. "He's kind of part of our family already, isn't he?" she asked finally. "I mean, he's been with us for a month now and he does everything with us. I like him," she admitted. "I guess I would like him marrying you, Mum. In a while, I mean."

Elphaba's smile widened. "Good." She turned back in her seat and directed her smile at him for a brief moment before settling back down against his shoulder.

Fiyero understood that he had just passed a very important test.

* * *

Security at the Palace had indeed been tightened. It took them nearly twenty minutes to get to the fifth floor with all their luggage, having to pass several security checks – guards asking for their ID, several doors that could only be opened with the passes the head of security handed them upon arrival in the hall – and there were cameras following their every move. It unnerved Elphaba, but she understood it was necessary.

They all retreated to their respective rooms to get some well-needed rest, although Elphaba didn't sleep much. She woke up at every sound, convinced something was happening to the twins, and she came out of bed four times that night, padding down the hall on her bare feet to check up on her children. They did sleep just fine, which she was glad about. She let them sleep and went down for breakfast at some ungodly hour in the morning, nibbling on some dry toast and downing three cups of coffee by herself before returning to her room to shower. Since she didn't think anyone else would be awake at this hour, she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top and then set to the unpleasant but necessary job of unpacking.

As she lifted her bag onto the bed and zipped it open, she checked her phone for any messages. A text from Duran and a missed call from Gazilon, both from last night – after the journey, she'd been too tired to deal with anything and she'd just tossed her phone onto her desk without looking at it. Still, it was nice at least her friends were thinking about her.

 _Galinda told me you're in Munchkinland,_ the text message said. _Just wanted to check if everything's okay._

Figuring Duran didn't need to know about the attack, she texted back an evasive reply.

 _We just got home. Everything's fine, don't worry._

Her phone beeped again a little while later.

 _Good. If you need anything, give me a call._

She typed a message back.

 _Will do. Thanks._

Then she checked the time and, figuring Gazilon would already be up since he usually worked on Saturdays, she dialled his number and waited for him to pick up.

He did after a few beeps, saying anxiously, "El?"

"Hey," she said and she heard him heave a relieved sigh.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Galinda and Cohvu have been acting all mysterious, I asked Duran and he said he knew what was going on but he couldn't tell me, and you haven't replied to my text last weekend and then I hear you're sick. Something's going on, isn't there?"

"There is," she confirmed, taking some things out of her open bag with her free hand. "I can't tell you what, though."

He lowered his voice. "Does it have something to do with Avaric?"

She froze. "What do you know about Avaric?"

"Not much," he said hesitantly, but she didn't believe him for a clock-tick.

"Did Galinda blab about him to you?" she asked sternly and she heard him sigh again on the other end of the line.

"Yes," he confessed. "She told me he was at the twins' party. Sorry I couldn't attend, by the way," he began, but she cut him off.

"It's fine, Gaz. You live in northern Gillikin and you had to work. It doesn't matter. And yes, Avaric was there, but that's not what's going on – or, well, it is, or it may be…" She trailed off, realising she wasn't making sense. "Never mind. I can't tell you anything right now, I'm sorry. It's a little… complicated."

"All right. I understand." He sounded concerned, however. "You know you can always talk to me about anything, right? If something bad is going on, I'm here for you."

She smiled inadvertently. Stalker or no stalker, she knew she was lucky to have such good friends in her life. "I know, Gaz, and I appreciate it. A lot. Thank you. I'll be fine, though, and I'll tell you everything once it's over."

She bade him good-bye soon afterwards and hung up, quickly typing a message to Nessa.

 _Good morning. Everything okay over there?_

She tied her hair together in a ponytail to keep it out of her face before continuing to unpack her bag. She opened her closet and transferred folded little piles of clothes back to the shelves inside, hanging up some other items of clothing and tossing the rest of it in the laundry basket in her bathroom. She checked her phone a couple of times and when she heard it beep, she quickly opened Nessa's text message.

 _I'm fine, Fabala,_ it said. _I'll let you know if anything happens, but I don't think it will. Those guards are still here, too, and Boq says hi. Don't worry about me._

Elphaba was relieved to hear that nothing had happened, but she supposed her anxiety over her sister – or anyone else she loved, for that matter – would completely disappear until her stalker was identified and arrested. She sighed and continued to unpack.

She was just moving her toiletries back to the bathroom when she heard her phone ring again and she scurried back into her bedroom to pick the thing up from where she'd thrown it on the bed. "Hello?"

There was some noise and she walked closer to the windows, hoping to get better reception. She still didn't hear anything. Was her reception that bad? "Hello?" she asked again.

Nothing. She was about to hang up when she did hear a sound: breathing. Someone was breathing into the phone on the other end of the line, but he wasn't saying anything.

Both fear and anger bubbling up inside of her, she gripped the phone tighter. "Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but if you think that threatening me and attacking the people I love is the way to my heart, you're a complete moron," she hissed down the phone, her temper finally winning out. "Stop acting like a coward and talk to me. Who are you and what do you want from me?!"

The only reply she got was more silence, more rustling noises, and more breathing. Was it her imagination, or was it growing heavier?

Then a click and a beep. He'd hung up on her.


	19. Anxiety

**Sorry this update's late! I had a crazy night at work followed by annual Grandpa-and-Grandma day with the two of them and the four grandchildren, so I didn't get home until now and I completely forgot to update. Here you go.**

 **I'm also really glad you like this story so much, thank you all for reading; and I'm glad it's not obvious (yet) who the stalker is!**

* * *

 **19\. Anxiety**

Elphaba's hands were shaking when she lowered the phone and stared at it as if a live snake had just come slithering out of it. Then she dropped it back onto the bed and wrapped her arms around herself, taking a few deep breaths. She knew she'd have to tell Galinda, Fiyero, and Oscar about this, but she needed to regain her composure first.

She tried to concentrate on unpacking again, but her mind kept wandering. She slipped on a pair of shoes and glanced at the time. Deciding it was late enough now for people to be up and about, she left her room and took the stairs down to Galinda's office, hoping her friend would be there already. She didn't usually work on Saturdays, but since she'd promised in a text the day before that she'd be in today, Elphaba hoped she would be here already.

The blonde was indeed sitting at her desk, typing away on her laptop, but she looked up with a brilliant smile when Elphaba came in.

"Elphie!" she squealed, leaping to her feet and throwing her arms around Elphaba in a hug. "It's good to have you back! Oz, I was so worried when I heard about what happened! Are you okay? And Fiyero and the twins? Any lasting damage done?"

Elphaba shook her head. "They're fine," she assured the blonde. "Just scared. The twins are still pretty shaken because of what happened – and so am I, honestly." She took a breath. "Glin… he called me just now."

"Who?" Galinda asked, looking puzzled.

"My stalker."

The blonde froze.

Elphaba sighed and sank down onto the couch in her friend's office. "I think it was him, anyway," she said quietly. "I can't be sure, but who else could it be? He didn't say anything, just breathed down the phone for a minute or so, and then he hung up."

Galinda swore softly under her breath and Elphaba's eyebrows shot up at the language the usually so proper young woman was using, but she had to admit she felt quite the same way.

"Have you told Fiyero?" the PA asked. "You should tell him. He's in charge of your security – he should know."

"I know. I will." Elphaba shrugged. "I wanted to come see you, anyway, so I figured you might as well be the first to know."

Galinda put an arm around the green woman. "I can't imagine how scared you must have been, Elphie. Both just now and back in Munchkinland."

There was a knock on the open door and both girls looked up to find Fiyero standing there, smiling a little. "Hey. Discussing what happened in Munchkinland?" he asked, glancing at Elphaba, but she shook her head and told him about the call she'd just had.

When she finished, Fiyero was looking pale and he clenched his fists. "That bastard," he swore. "Give me your phone, Fae. I'll try to track the number."

"It was anonymous," she said even as she handed him her phone. "I don't think you'll have much luck with that."

He cursed again and Galinda cast him a disapproving look, even though she'd been swearing herself not much earlier.

"I think we'll have to postpone any dating until we've caught our guy, Fae," he said with a sigh. "And any other outings for you, too. I'd prefer it if you didn't leave this building at all for the next –"

"The next _what_ , Fiyero?" Elphaba asked him wearily. "The next week? Month? The next few years? The rest of my life? Where does it end? We won't find the guy unless I go out. You know that as well as I do. We have to lure him out."

"We already tried that, remember?" he said, running his fingers through his hair. Subconsciously, he brushed the fingers of his other hand against the spot on his abdomen where his scar was. "It didn't end too well."

"Maybe if you'd take more guards with you, and mask them as regular passers-by," Galinda suggested. "They could keep an eye out for anything suspicious. They'd be armed, so they could interfere if something happened…"

Fiyero shook his head. "It's too dangerous," he stated.

Elphaba rose to her feet and walked over to him, placing one hand on his arm. "Yero, we won't let you get hurt again, I promise. We'd find a way to make it safe, maybe I could use magic…"

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Me?" he asked incredulously. "Oz, Fae, I'm not worried about _me_. I'm a tough guy. I'll live. It's my job to endanger myself for you, remember? I'm worried about _you_. We've seen what this stalker of yours is capable of and I don't want to expose you to him any more than strictly necessary."

"This _is_ strictly necessary," she insisted. "One way or another, we need to find out who's behind it all."

"Not by putting you at risk!"

"What other way is there?"

"She's right, Fiyero," said Galinda, coming up behind her employer. "If you don't take any risks, you'll never find out who's stalking Elphie and she'll have to be on guard for the rest of her life."

Fiyero hesitated.

"Listen." Galinda took out her phone. "I'll text Duran and Gazilon right now to invite them for a night out with Elphie, Cohvu, you, and me. There's nothing weird about a group of friends meeting up, is there? We'll explain the whole situation to Gazilon – Duran already knows, anyway – and ask everyone to keep an eye out for anything strange. Six pairs of eyes see more than one or two, after all. We'll put some other guards in place, too, and we'll try to decide if someone in the vicinity is acting suspicious. We'll all walk back to the Palace after that. We'll be safe in a group and maybe one of us sees something."

Elphaba nodded. "I hate pulling my friends into this, but I suppose most of them are involved already, anyway," she said with a sigh, "and I know Gazilon is worried about me. He should hear the truth."

Galinda looked at Fiyero, who still looked torn, but he gave her a curt nod and she quickly typed a text message, her long, pink nails flying across the keys, and then she sent it out. "There. Sent. We'll catch our guy." She put her phone away and looked at Fiyero again and then at Elphaba, her eyes suddenly bright. "Now," she said, a little too eagerly for Elphaba's liking. "What did you, Fiyero, just say about dating?"

* * *

The date for the group meeting, attended by all university friends plus Fiyero, was set for Friday, two weeks from now. Elphaba would have preferred to have it as soon as possible, but that wasn't really an option; she and Galinda, and even Cohvu, could go out during the week and just take a few hours off the next morning, but Duran and Gazilon both had jobs to go to – not to mention the fact that Gazilon lived in northern Gillikin and had to travel quite a few hours to the Emerald City. She'd tried to move it to next weekend, rather than the weekend after, but Gazilon's sister was getting married and he would be gone for a few days, so she was going to have to be patient.

In the meantime, Elphaba had to prepare for her speech at the opening of the children's hospital that Thursday. Fiyero had advised her against going, but some of the tabloids were already speculating on reasons why the deputy mayor had hardly been seen in public lately and Elphaba didn't want to feed the rumours.

"He won't harm me in public," she'd assured Fiyero. "He's never tried anything in public before, after all, has he? I promise, you and the guards can drop me off just off the stage and you can whisk me away again straight after the event. I won't talk to anyone if you don't want me to and I'll go straight back home, but events like this one are important for my career, Yero, and I told you – I refuse to put my entire life on hold because of this creep."

He'd sighed, but relented, and he'd spent the next few days arranging security measures for the event.

Despite the fact that everyone was trying to go on as if nothing had happened, it was clear that they were all scared, once one knew which signs to look for. Elphaba started every day by checking her phone. Usually, there would be a text from Nessa, saying everything was okay and asking if Elphaba was fine, too; twice, there was no such text when Elphaba woke up, in which case she'd call her sister to make sure nothing bad had happened. Nothing had, of course – once Nessa had still been asleep and the other time she had forgotten to charge her phone before going to bed – but they were both anxious and worried for the other.

The twins seemed to be doing well. They got tutored by Cohvu, played games, and asked thousands of questions, just like they always did. However, every morning when Elphaba went to wake them, she found them together in either Xalo's room or Fawn's, sleeping curled up close to one another – something they only did when they were scared or sad. Cohvu kept a close eye on all three Thropps, helping to distract the children during the day and asking Elphaba at least once a day how she was doing and if there was anything he or Galinda could help her with. Galinda gave them all worried looks all day long, too, and Oscar was more on edge than before. They all were.

Elphaba didn't leave the Palace at all, instead opting to work in her office all day long. Any meetings she had, she arranged to be at the Palace and every visitor she had was screened closely. Her claustrophobia was starting to worsen again, but she tried to ignore that, just as she ignored her friends and family's concerned glances.

While she kept busy working and caring for the twins, sometimes spending some time with Oscar, Cohvu, and Galinda, she hardly ever saw Fiyero. He had a lot of work of his own to do, preparing for Elphaba's speech and constantly attending meetings with the security staff to check the camera footage and search for other possible holes in security. Because they were both so busy, it took the green woman a while to realise that he was avoiding her.

The evening before her speech, when she had put the twins to bed, she went down the hallway and knocked on the door to Fiyero's rooms.

He opened the door to find her standing there, barefoot and wearing a pair of pyjama trousers and a tank top with a robe thrown on over them. She was leaning against the doorway, twirling the rope of her bathrobe around as she raised one eyebrow at him.

"Hello there," she said. "Can I come in?"

He stepped aside and she walked past him. As he closed the door behind her and turned around, he already took a breath to ask her why she was here, but she was quicker.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

His head shot up. "What?" he asked, shocked.

She gave him a wry smile. "I'm not stupid, Fiyero."

"No," he said, chuckling wryly. "You're probably the least stupid person I've ever met." He sighed and sank down onto the couch. She sat down beside him and looked at him expectantly.

"I'm not really sure," he admitted. "I'm just… worried."

When he didn't say anything else, she prodded, "About what?"

He sighed again, impatiently this time. "About you, of course. About your safety, because somehow this guy seems to know everything about you and I'm afraid that if he somehow finds out I'm still around and we're still spending time together, it'll be the last straw for him and he'll turn on you."

Elphaba shook her head. "He tried to murder my _children_ , Yero," she stressed. "As far as I'm concerned, that's worse than him trying to murder me. And besides, that's not for you to decide."

"It is, though," he countered. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, one way or another."

She laid her hand against his face. "As I said before, I'm not stupid. I can decide for myself which risks I do and do not want to take," she reminded him. "And besides, how would he ever find out?"

Fiyero hesitated and Elphaba rose to her feet and moved over to the open door, closing it.

"Fae," he protested, but she rolled her eyes at him.

"My claustrophobia isn't so bad that I need _every_ door open, Yero, even though it's sweet that you thought of it. I do value my privacy, you know. As long as you keep the door between your bedroom and foyer open, I'm good. I usually don't really like _locked_ doors," she said, even as she turned the key in the lock on Fiyero's door, "but right now I think I'd like a little privacy." She gave him an impish grin as she moved back over to him.

He frowned at her. "Elphaba, you don't have to –"

"Have to? Are you serious?" She snorted. "I know you've only known me for a month, Fiyero, but have I _ever_ done something because I 'had to'?"

Now that she mentioned it, he didn't think she had.

She chortled at the look on his face, but then she grew serious again. "Look, Fiyero – if, you know, hypothetically speaking…"

That made him chuckle and she smirked slightly at him before continuing.

"…you don't want anything to happen because you just don't feel that way about me, or don't think you ever could… that's fine. Just tell me. I told you in Munchkinland – I like you and I'd like to see if this could go somewhere, but I need you in for that, too."

He sighed again. "That's not it, Fae. I like you, too," he confessed, then grimaced. "Actually, what you said in Munchkinland about me being in love with you… that was probably more accurate than either of us was willing to admit at the time."

She blinked at him, taken aback. She hadn't expected that.

"It's just that I think maybe we should wait until this whole stalker business is over and then we could –"

"No," Elphaba said hotly. "I am _not_ going to sit here and do nothing because some crazy person decided that I'm the love of his life! Are you serious? It's bad enough that I can hardly get out of the Palace anymore, or meet my friends without there being some ulterior plan and a lot of extra security. My own children can't even visit their playmates anymore. I'm not making any more concessions than that. Don't you see? If I give him that much power over me, I might as well just roll over and do whatever he wants!"

The contents of those letters came back to Fiyero and he shuddered at the implications of her doing whatever that creep wanted. "It's not the same, Elphaba."

"Still," she insisted. "Besides, I told you – that decision is mine, not yours, and I'm saying I want to take the bet." She crossed her arms. "I'm yours if you'll have me. All you have to do is say the word."

He looked at her, his heart aching. It was so tempting, more so than she'd ever realise, he thought. Especially now, all dressed for bed and with her hair loose, but her cheeks flushed with frustration, she was gorgeous; and he knew he really was in love with her. Under any other circumstances, he wouldn't have hesitated for a single clock-tick, but now…

For the past week, he'd been playing that day at the lake in Munchkinland in his head over and over again. He'd never forget the sound of Elphaba's screams, because he still heard them in his nightmares every night. He'd never forget the unconcealed terror in her eyes upon seeing her children hurt or the look of utter relief on her face when she'd realised they were going to be all right. That attack had been aimed at him and it had almost cost her the two things she loved most in the world. He couldn't do that to her again. Regardless of what was going to happen, he couldn't be responsible for it.

Years ago, he might have rejected her because he didn't want to commit to an actual relationship. Now, his reasons for rejecting her were much more mature and much more noble… but he still had to reject her.

And so he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Elphaba. I can't."

She stared at him for a few moments, the look on her face incredulous. Then, however, she composed herself and the look on her face became blank.

"All right," she said calmly, pulling her robe tighter around herself and turning around. "Thank you for making that clear. I won't bother you about it again. Good night, Fiyero." With that, she unlocked the door and left, closing it behind her.

He knew she was hurt, but he just couldn't risk it. He'd failed her once. He wasn't going to fail her again. Her safety, and that of her family, was more important than her feelings – or his.

* * *

 **I feel a tiny little bit guilty for first being late and then giving you this, but I promise you'll get more Fiyeraba soon!**


	20. Public

**I love how some of you remain so calm while others are really upset with either me or Fiyero (or both). Thanks for all your reviews. :) Also, virtual Sammie cuddles for Nia (Fae'sFlower) for being the 200th reviewer of this story!**

* * *

 **20\. Public**

That Thursday morning, Elphaba looked at herself in the mirror and tried to convince herself that nothing was going to happen during her speech. She was wearing a black skirt paired with a white blouse, a black blazer, and a pair of low-heeled pumps. Her hair had been braided back and tied up in a bun by Galinda and she was wearing some make-up. She looked representable, she thought, but she was still nervous. Not just about the threat, either; public events weren't her favourite part of her work and she always got nervous beforehand, wondering what kind of impression she'd make on the public and if she would really be doing okay.

"Get yourself together, Elphaba," she told her mirror image. She usually told herself that no matter what happened, it wouldn't kill her and she'd be fine; but in this situation, that didn't really go over. She sighed and glanced once more at her reflection before leaving the room.

She was ushered straight from the front door of the Palace into her car and Fiyero drove her to the children's hospital that would be opened that day. Benn was driving along in the passenger seat and behind them was another car filled with guards. Fiyero didn't want to take any risks with her safety. She was tense the entire way, though, since the windows had to stay closed again. By the time they reached the hospital, her nerves were frayed and she felt completely frazzled. She was almost regretting the whole thing already, but she knew she had to do it – for her career, but also for herself. If she started being afraid to go out in public now, she'd soon never dare to set foot outside the Palace again.

She hadn't spoken to Fiyero again after she'd left his rooms last night and even now, as he helped her out of the car and led her inside with Benn following close behind, he didn't say a word. She didn't say anything, either. She had no idea what she could say. She'd had her heart broken before, of course (and how), and this wasn't the same at all, but she couldn't deny that it still hurt. It had taken her a lot of effort to muster up the courage to say those things to him. When he'd said that he was in love with her, she'd been sure he was going to give in; and then he had shot her down after all.

Years ago, she might have blamed herself for being too green, or too pushy, or too sarcastic, or too… _something_ that had caused him to not want to be with her. That was before Avaric, however, and before Oscar, and Shiz, and the twins; and although she still had her insecurities now, she had grown a lot over the past nine years. That was mainly why she knew now that Fiyero hadn't rejected her because he didn't want to be with her, but because he didn't want to risk her safety.

She thought that was noble of him, on the one hand, but on the other hand she was just frustrated. What made him think he could make those decisions for her? She knew how seriously he took his job, but it was _her_ life, wasn't it?

She was led into the hall of the children's hospital, flanked by Fiyero and Benn, and she pushed her thoughts about the bodyguard aside and focused on what she was about to do. If Fiyero didn't want her, fine. She could live with that. She'd been doing just fine before he came along, anyway. As long as she had her family, or even just Fawn and Xalo, she'd be okay.

Most of the Emerald City elite was there and a couple of people she knew came up to her to chat. Elphaba talked to them all. Despite her distaste of social gatherings, she found to her surprise that she'd missed just being out and about and talking to other people. She loved her family and friends and she got along just fine with her employees, but it was nice to see some other faces.

She could tell that Fiyero and the other men following her around were on their guard, constantly looking around vigilantly, watching everyone who was acting the slightest bit suspicious. When the people present were called to silence, the guards spread throughout the room. They were all dressed in the same clothes as everyone else, making it impossible for anyone to distinguish them from the other guests, but Elphaba knew they all carried concealed weapons, just in case.

"And now," the director of the children's hospital announced, "please welcome the Emerald City's deputy mayor, Elphaba Thropp!"

Everyone applauded as Elphaba moved to the front, where the microphone was. She smiled and nodded politely at the guests as she took her spot, noticing from the corner of her eye that some of the security guards inconspicuously positioned themselves on both her sides and in front of her, able to reach her quickly if need be. Was this going to be her life from now on? Constantly guarded, always afraid something might happen? Oz, she hoped they'd catch this guy – the sooner, the better.

She began her speech and soon forgot all about everything else, focusing on the things she wanted to say instead. When it was over, the guests applauded again and she was handed a pair of scissors to cut the ribbon currently blocking the hospital's main hallway. She cut it, some of the press present took pictures, and then the party following the hospital's opening started. She mingled a bit, but after half an hour or so, Fiyero came up to her and quietly said into her ear, "I think we should go now."

The childish, petty part of her wanted to stay for another two hours purely to irritate Fiyero, but her more mature half won out. She wasn't going to risk her safety because she was a little pissed at the bodyguard. If he said they had to go, she knew he had to have a good reason to.

And so she bade everyone good-bye and left the building, surrounded by her escort of guards. When they reached the car, however, she stopped dead in her tracks. Beside her, Fiyero cursed and pulled out his gun, motioning for the other guards to surround the vehicle. There was no-one in sight, though. Whoever had been there was long gone.

On the car, carved all across the right side of it, were words.

 _Be mine or die._

"He's gone," Benn said, holstering his gun and placing his hand on Elphaba's arm when she made to move forward. "Wait a moment." He opened the car door and quickly searched the vehicle. Apparently, he concluded that no-one must have been inside, because he nodded and gestured for Elphaba to get in, which she did. He quickly deliberated with some of the others and before the green woman knew it, they were driving again, on their way back to the Palace.

"He's only been outside the car," Benn explained to her over his shoulder as they drove. "It's a secure car, after all, with bullet-proof windows – he wouldn't have been able to get inside."

Fiyero was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white. "I thought we'd left two men behind to guard the vehicle," he said, grating his teeth in frustration.

"We did," Benn confirmed, "but they didn't see or hear anything."

"Then maybe we need better men," Fiyero snapped.

Benn wisely kept his mouth shut.

Fiyero glanced at Elphaba through the rear-view mirror. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Fine," she said, pressing her lips together. "I just want to go home."

Fiyero held her gaze for a moment, but he had to look away to focus on the road eventually and Elphaba looked back down at her phone without really seeing anything. Deep down, she was starting to feel desperate. Was this guy ever going to leave her alone? He had started by writing her letters, but by now it had gotten so much worse than that. He had been inside her house, he had almost killed Fiyero, attacked him and the twins in Munchkinland, stood in her bedroom, and now he'd gotten to her car right under the noses of a few men who were supposed to keep her safe. _Be mine or die…_ How long would it be before he decided she was taking too long to become his and he'd start attempting to kill her instead?

She wasn't afraid to die. She didn't _want_ to die, but she wasn't afraid of it. She was afraid, however, of leaving her children alone. Of course, even if she did die, Oscar, Galinda, and Cohvu would take care of the twins; but she knew they would be heart-broken and she couldn't do that to them.

Her phone rang and she jumped at the sound, which jolted her from her thoughts. With a sigh, she picked up. "Hello?"

"Elphie!" Galinda cried, so loudly even Fiyero and Benn in the front could hear it. "Where are you? Did you leave already?"

"Yeah," said Elphaba, glancing at the two guards for a moment. "We're on our way home."

"Turn around!" Galinda commanded.

Elphaba frowned. "What?"

"Elphaba," Galinda said, her high-pitched chirp lowering to sound much more serious. "President Sevens of Quox was at the opening of that hospital and he was impressed by your speech. He wants to speak with you personally. The _president_ , Elphie! He just called your office to arrange a lunch meeting between you and him in half an hour at _The Silver Swan_ , that fancy restaurant two blocks away from the hospital."

Elphaba bit her lip. "Glin… something happened," she said quietly, playing with a loose thread on her skirt and twirling it around her finger. "He got to the car – which was being watched by two of Fiyero's men. I think I should just come home now."

"Oh, Elphie…" Galinda sounded sympathetic and a little shocked. "I'm sorry. I understand. Are you all right?"

Elphaba looked out of the window, wishing more than ever that she was allowed to open it. "Fine."

"I'll call him back and make an excuse for you," Galinda promised. "I called because I thought it would be an amazing opportunity for you, but you shouldn't take the risk, especially if something already happened."

Elphaba had stilled. She shouldn't take the risk? Where had she heard that before? She glanced at Fiyero again and then made a decision.

"Don't," she said into the phone. "I'll go meet him."

Galinda sounded surprised. "Are you sure? You don't have to –"

"I know," Elphaba cut her off. "But I want to. You're right, Glin – meeting President Sevens is something huge for me, especially career-wise, and I'm not going to throw that away because some idiot is trying to scare me. Fiyero," she called to the front. "Can you drive to _The Silver Swan_ instead? It's near the hospital we just came from."

Via the rear-view mirror, he looked at her as if she had gone crazy. "Elphaba…"

"Do it," she snapped before returning her attention to the phone. "How are the kids, Glin?"

"They're fine," Galinda assured her. "Cohvu has been teaching them all morning and the three of them just came to call me and Oscar because lunch is ready. I think Xalo said something about having talked Harron into making pancakes."

Elphaba smiled despite herself. Harron was the Palace cook and he adored the twins; he'd practically do anything they asked. "That sounds like Xalo," she agreed with a soft chuckle. "Enjoy your meal, then. Give them a kiss from me."

"I will," Galinda promised. "If there is anything at all you need me for, just give me a call, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Glin." Elphaba hung up and slipped her phone back into the small purse she carried with her.

Fiyero caught her gaze via the mirror again. "Fae, I really don't think this is a good idea," he said worriedly.

She leaned forward in her seat. "I'm the deputy mayor of the Emerald City," she reminded him curtly. "I've worked incredibly hard to get where I am now and this – meeting President Sevens of Quox – is big, Fiyero. I'm not going to let that go for anything. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I need to take it."

He sighed, clearly unhappy; but he nodded, telling her at least he understood. "Will you at least let us protect you?"

"Of course." She leaned back again. "You can flood the entire place with security guards, for all I care, if you think that's necessary. As long as I can speak with the president."

He nodded. "All right." He exchanged a look with Benn and took a right turn.

* * *

Mildly bored, Fiyero sat playing yet another game on his phone as he inconspicuously kept an eye on Elphaba. _The Silver Swan_ was a particularly high-class establishment and he felt decidedly out of place there. He knew Elphaba was uncomfortable with displays of wealth and status as well, but he marvelled at how well she seemed to fit in here. She was talking animatedly with President Sevens, who had his own security with him, but so far nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on.

She was beautiful when she was passionate. He watched her waving her arms about, her cheeks flushed and her eyes filled with fire and determination as she explained her point to the president, who was listening attentively. They seemed to have an interesting discussion going on. He hoped their conversation would prove to be fruitful in some way, if only because then the risk wouldn't have been for nothing.

He understood why she wanted to do this, even if he didn't completely agree. Then again, he would prefer to keep her locked in her room at all times in order to keep her safe. He didn't want to take _any_ risk with her, but that wasn't exactly an option and so he'd have to settle for keeping a close eye on her and making sure she was surrounded by security guards every time she left the Palace.

He glanced around him once again. In the corner of the restaurant, a man was making a phone call, keeping his voice hushed as he kept stealing glances at Elphaba and the president. Some reporter, perhaps? Fiyero suspected that the fact that President Sevens and Deputy Mayor Thropp had met wouldn't stay secret for very long. It'd probably be all over the newspapers tomorrow.

It took Elphaba and President Sevens about two hours to finish up, but when they did, Fiyero could tell they were both satisfied. They shook hands and the president said something to Elphaba that made her smile. She replied and the president left, his own bodyguards escorting him out of the building.

Elphaba made her way outside as well, closely followed by Fiyero and the others. Benn hurried ahead to make sure the car was still secure and Elphaba just stood outside for a moment, raising her face to the sun and closing her eyes.

Fiyero stepped up beside her and, without opening her eyes, she said, "I really hate being cooped up inside all the time."

"I know." He could imagine how she felt. It was pretty bad to have to stay inside constantly in any case, but with her fear of closed spaces, he understood that being able to go outside was even more important to her than to most people. It was where she felt safest and she was being deprived of that feeling now. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't make you do it if I didn't think it was necessary."

She gave a minute nod. "I know." She sighed and opened her eyes again. "We should get back, right?"

"Yeah," he said sympathetically and she sighed again, moving closer to the car. Benn gave Fiyero a sign that the vehicle was secure and the bodyguard placed a hand on the small of Elphaba's back, guiding her in the direction of the car.

"Deputy Mayor Thropp!" someone called and she stopped, eyes searching the street. There was a teenage girl standing there, looking rather enthusiastic. "I'm sorry to bother you," she apologised, her cheeks red with excitement, "but I recognised you and I just really wanted to ask…" She held up a mobile phone. "Could I maybe take your picture? I know you probably don't usually do that," she quickly rambled on, "but you must know I think you're amazing. You're my big inspiration – thanks to you, I'm going to study Politics at Shiz University in the autumn and you're _the_ example of a smart, strong woman capable of making career whilst still having a personal life, and then your magic, which is _so_ cool, and… and I'm sorry," she apologised again, her cheeks flushing an even brighter shade of red. "I'm probably coming across as a rambling lunatic right now, aren't I? It's just… I really admire you," she admitted, "and I didn't expect to see you here, so I couldn't resist asking…"

Elphaba chuckled and began to move towards the girl, only to find herself stopped by Fiyero.

"It's a teenager, Yero," she stressed, raising an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "It's not her I'm worried about," he murmured to her, nodding at the small audience that had gathered. They must have grown curious because of the girl's enthusiastic cries.

"Just one picture," the dark-haired witch promised Fiyero as she stepped up next to the girl with a smile, thanking her for her kind words. The girl looked about to faint and Elphaba beckoned Fiyero, who instantly moved towards her. She held out the phone the girl had given her.

"Can you snap a picture of the two of us?" she asked him innocently.

He glared at her, which made her smirk, but he did comply. The teenage girl was beside herself with excitement and Elphaba laughed as she watched the girl skip off.

"Deputy Mayor Thropp!" someone else – the man who had been on the phone inside the restaurant, Fiyero realised – called to her. "With all your pro-Animal campaigns, have you ever considered that maybe some of us _normal_ people don't want such freaks of nature to live among us?"

Elphaba stiffened and made to turn around, but Fiyero nudged her forward. "Ignore," he said into her ear.

"Hey!" The man was moving closer now, pushing himself past some other people. "I asked you a question!"

"Keep walking," Fiyero instructed, his hand twitching on his gun.

"Feeling too good for the rest of us, aren't you?" the man sneered. "Look out, Deputy Mayor. When someone is on a pedestal, it's quite easy for them to be… shot down."

Fiyero caught the slight pause at that and whipped around, pulling out his gun. The man was also holding a gun now and he was aiming it at Elphaba's head.

* * *

 **STOP! Cliffy time! *dances around***


	21. Private

**You'll find out everything about the stalker eventually, but not for another while yet. After broken-up Fiyeraba and a cliffy, though, I think you'll like this chapter!**

 **Also, hi Fiyeraba's Love Child! Thanks for leaving all those reviews and thanks for reading! :)**

* * *

 **21\. Private**

Every single one of the security guards reacted instantly. Fiyero yanked Elphaba behind him, positioning himself between her and the gunman, ready to catch the bullet for her if he had to. Benn and some of the others quickly overpowered the man and wrestled the gun away from him, yanking his arms behind his back as they arrested him. Without further thought, Fiyero swept Elphaba up in his arms and ran the short distance to the car with her, placing her in the passenger seat and closing the door before running over to the driver's side of the car. Within a minute after the gun had first been pulled out, they were on the road again, driving back towards the Palace.

Elphaba just sat there, dumbstruck by what had just happened, and Fiyero looked to his side for a moment. "Fae? Are you all right?"

"He tried to kill me," she said incredulously, her eyes wide with shock. "I knew I had a stalker, but this man had nothing to do with that… did he? He just didn't agree with my policies and that's why he tried to shoot me…"

Fiyero exhaled slowly. "It looked like it," he said with a curt nod. He glanced at her again. "Although we also have to keep in mind that this guy might be connected to your stalker somehow."

She shook her head, still in a state of disbelief. Then she buried her face in her hands.

"What am I even doing?" she whispered and he could hear the genuine desperation in her voice. "I thought if we caught the stalker, the danger would be over… but I could just as well get shot by some lunatic in the streets. What am I supposed to do now, Fiyero?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than usually. "I've worked so hard to get here, and now that I am, all I'm really doing is endangering myself and the people I love. Fawn, Xalo… you."

It hurt to hear her say that, knowing he could have her if he said the word and yet at the same time knowing he could never do that. Throwing himself into his work was one way to cope with not being able to be with her, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard for him. Especially when she said such things.

"I just don't know what to do," she said, her voice breaking, and Fiyero reached out to gently place his hand on her knee in a silent gesture of sympathy and comfort.

They drove in silence for a while. Then her phone rang and she sniffled, but pulled herself together as she answered it. "Hello?"

Silence.

Suddenly feeling like bursting into tears, Elphaba just looked at Fiyero once. He instantly knew what she meant and held out his hand. She gave him the phone, which he pressed to his ear, holding the steering wheel with his other hand. There was indeed only silence, but he could discern the sound of breathing on the other end of the line.

Suddenly, there was some noise and a low voice breathed through the phone, "Soon." Then Elphaba's stalker, whoever in Oz he may be, hung up.

* * *

"Fiyero?"

The sandy-haired man looked up from his laptop screen and grinned at the twins in his doorway to his office. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"We have a question," Xalo said seriously. "And we need you to answer it because we don't think anyone else would."

Feeling wary now, Fiyero turned entirely on his desk chair so he was facing the twins. "Spill," he commanded.

They exchanged a look.

"Okay," Fawn began. "Fiyero… are we going to die?"

He was absolutely stunned for a moment.

"No," he said then, as fiercely as he could. "Of course not. Where did you get that idea?"

Xalo shrugged. "There's so much security," he said. "All these guards are walking around, and you were stabbed, and the boat exploded, and Mum is scared…"

"We know she is," Fawn added. "We asked her and she said she wasn't, but I'm sure she is. We can tell."

Fiyero sighed, moving off his desk chair to crouch in front of the children.

"Listen to me," he said earnestly. "All those security guards are here to protect you and to make sure that something like that boat exploding is not going to happen again."

"But we heard someone tried to shoot Mum this afternoon," Xalo said in a small voice and Fiyero nodded solemnly.

"Someone tried," he agreed. "But he didn't succeed, did he? That's why we're here."

"To protect her?" Fawn asked and when Fiyero nodded, she pressed, "And us?"

"All of you," Fiyero assured her. "Don't worry, you two. Really. Everything is going to be just fine, just you wait and see."

They didn't seem completely convinced, but they nodded nonetheless and Xalo said, "Thank you, Fiyero."

Just when he thought he'd been let off the hook, Fawn asked, "Are you and Mum still dating now?"

Biting back his frustration, he shook his head at the young girl. "No," he said. "I want to, and so does she; but right now I need to concentrate on protecting her. Do you understand that?"

"No," said Fawn, scowling and crossing her arms. "If you're in love with her, you should go on dates. You can still protect her when you're on a date, can't you? Maybe even better, because then you'll be together all the time."

Fiyero chuckled weakly. "I suppose."

"I liked that you and Mum were dating," Xalo confessed, sounding disappointed. He looked at Fiyero closely. "Do you think you'd be good at being a dad?"

Fiyero choked and Fawn said to her brother, "He's bound to be better than our real father, anyway. I really didn't like Avaric. He was weird."

Xalo nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. And Fiyero can fight." He smiled brilliantly at the bodyguard. "I think you'd be a great dad," he declared.

"Thank you, Xalo," said Fiyero, not knowing what else to say. The hope in the boy's eyes tore at him. Did these kids really like him that much?

Fawn came a little closer, her emerald green eyes scrutinising. "You promise you won't let anything happen to our mum?" she asked him sternly, reminding him more than ever of a tiny Elphaba.

He knew he shouldn't be going around promising these things, but he found himself nodding before he could stop himself. "I promise," he said solemnly. "I'd sooner die than let anything happen to her." He only realised how true it was once the words had already left his mouth – and not just because he was getting paid to die for Elphaba, either.

Satisfied, Fawn nodded and then she surprised him by hugging him. "Thank you," she said, her cheek pressed against his shirt. "For protecting Mum, and for saving us. That day with the boat, I mean."

"Of course, Fawn." His surprise fading a little, he hugged her back. "Don't worry. You'll all be fine."

Xalo then hugged him, too, and he found his resolve to keep them and their mother safe strengthening. Before the two left the room, however, Xalo threw at him, "You should go see Mum and tell her you want to date her after all."

Fawn nodded in agreement. "She's happier when you're around, anyway," she said. Then the twins disappeared through the door, leaving Fiyero to ponder their words.

* * *

That night, he found himself at the door to Elphaba's rooms, his hand poised to knock, but not actually knocking. He shouldn't be here. He was being weak. He should turn around and leave now, before it was too late. _You're here to protect her. It's always been your number one rule, Fiyero. Don't get too close to your clients._

Then again, he thought wryly, what with the way he felt about not just Elphaba, but also Fawn and Xalo, and even to some extent Oscar, Galinda, and Cohvu, already, that rule came a little too late.

He didn't consciously decide to knock on the door, but it was like his hand had a will of its own. She called, "Come in!" and he pushed the door open, stepping into her foyer and closing the door behind him.

She appeared through the open door he knew led to her bedroom, although unlike the night before, she wasn't dressed for bed yet. Instead she was wearing the same comfortable jeans and long-sleeved shirt she had worn to dinner earlier, with a pair of fuzzy slippers at her feet that seemed quite unlike her, but that she somehow managed to pull off. Fiyero had noticed before that, although she was often required to dress up in chic (and usually expensive) clothes for work, in private she seemed to prefer much simpler clothes, choosing comfort over style. He couldn't deny that she looked smart in her work wardrobe, but he preferred this look on her. It was more natural. More… well, more Elphaba.

When she saw him, she frowned a little. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"No," he quickly reassured her. "Nothing. Don't worry."

"Good," she said, even as she moved past him and picked up her phone from a table near the far wall of her foyer, "because I don't think I could handle another letter on top of everything that already happened today." She glanced down at her phone. "Gazilon asks if dinner next week is still on."

Fiyero nodded. "As far as I'm concerned. I still don't like putting you and your friends at risk, but…"

"…but we have no choice," Elphaba finished for him. "I know. We'll all meet at _Square One_ for dinner and some after-dinner drinks, probably. Duran already offered Gaz a place to spend the night, since otherwise it would be a hell of a journey back to northern Gillikin for him in the middle of the night; and we'll be returning here, hopefully with lots of new information about our guy." The sarcasm dripping off her voice told him clearly how likely she thought that scenario to be.

"We might," Fiyero said seriously, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to convince her. He just hoped he'd be able to prove her wrong next week.

"So if nothing's wrong, why _are_ you here?" she asked as she went into her bedroom again and placed her phone on the desk. She pulled the elastic band from her hair, allowing it to fall down from the ponytail she'd kept it in, and tossed the band onto the desk as well before moving over to her wardrobe.

He watched her as she moved around the room, leaning against the doorway to her bedroom. He shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. You know, with what happened this afternoon, and all."

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure, to be completely honest."

Looking at her, he saw the fear she was trying to hide and without thinking, he moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened for a moment and then pushed him away.

"No," she said fiercely, taking a few steps back. "You don't get to do that, Fiyero. I told you where I stand and you said you don't want to give it a try, so you don't get to come here now to ask how I'm doing and give me hugs. Seriously. Make up your mind."

The impulse to hold her was impossibly strong and he gave in to it, reluctantly recognising that he'd been right before – it was far too late already. "I have," he told her, moving in again quicker than she could push him away. He pressed his lips against hers.

She exclaimed something unintelligible against his lips, but he just held her tighter and soon her felt her kiss him back. When they broke apart for air for a minute, she whispered, "What made you change your mind?"

He shrugged. "I'm already in way over my head, anyway," he mumbled, kissing her again. "And besides, I discovered that I can't resist you for long." He'd never been good at resisting temptation – any kind of temptation, and Elphaba was the worst kind he'd ever come across.

She smiled and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him. She kept moving forward, forcing him to step back, until his back hit the wall and she could reach the door to her rooms, which she locked. Fiyero grinned and quickly turned them around, pressing her against the wall and kissing her more thoroughly. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her over to her bedroom and laid her on the bed. Only when she pushed his shirt off his shoulders did he realise she'd been working on his buttons.

He groaned. "You're a tease, Elphaba Thropp." He sat back for a moment, breathing hard. "Are you looking for a repetition of what happened in Munchkinland? Because you know I could spend all night kissing you and never get enough."

She smiled impishly at him, reaching for him so she could kiss him again. "Actually, I'm looking for a little bit more than that," she murmured into his ear, gasping softly when his lips found her throat.

He pulled back at her words, however, looking worried. "Fae…"

"In Munchkinland, you said the only reason you didn't want to was because you said my first time post-Avaric should be with someone I love, once we've gotten to know each other, and when I feel ready," she pointed out to him. "I already admitted I'm falling in love with you, I think I know you well enough after spending a month being around you almost constantly, and I'm saying I feel ready. Do you have any other objections?"

He searched her eyes and when he saw no hesitation there, he shook his head mutely. She grinned and pulled him down again for another kiss.

"Good."

* * *

Thankfully, waking up the next morning was much less awkward this time around, even though a lot more had happened than had been the case in Munchkinland. Fiyero, much to his own surprise, awoke first. He wasn't so much surprised that he was awake as he was surprised that Elphaba was still asleep; judging from the small beams of sunlight peeking through the cracks in the curtains, it was quite a bit later than Elphaba usually got up. He supposed she must have been exhausted by the events of the previous day… or those of the previous night. He smirked a little at the thought.

He looked down at her. She was still fast asleep with her cheek pressed against his chest, mumbling something unintelligible in her sleep. Her hair fanned out over the blankets – and him – and he raised one arm so he could run the strands between his fingers, smiling a little when she frowned and shifted at that. He'd definitely broken all the rules he had set for himself, but he already knew it was worth it.

She stirred after a while, yawning as her dark brown eyes slowly blinked open. He watched as the realisation of what they'd done dawned on her face, but she didn't seem too shocked by it, which he felt relieved about. Part of him had been afraid she'd slap him and fire him and never want to talk to him again.

"Hey," he whispered, stroking her cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

She made a noise in her throat and turned her head to bury her face in the crook of his neck. He chuckled and rubbed her back.

"What time is it?" she murmured drowsily after a while.

He raised his head a little to glance at the clock on Elphaba's nightstand. "Half past nine."

She moaned. "Half past nine? I can't even remember the last time I slept that long." She stretched, yawning again. "I really don't want to get up, but I probably should. I have a meeting with my dad and some idiots at eleven."

"You still have plenty of time before then." He nuzzled her hair and pressed a kiss to her hairline. She smiled a little against his shoulder, her eyes still closed. She knew she had to get up, but she didn't want to just yet. This was nice. She'd never before been with a man like this, not counting their night in Munchkinland, but she thought she could get used to it. No matter how proud she was to always be strong and independent, it was nice to feel warm and safe and cared for, for once.

After another while, she sighed and forced herself away from Fiyero, sitting up and stretching again before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "I need to pee. Be right back."

He grinned, making a disappointed sound when she took her robe from the desk chair and put it on. She gave him a look over her shoulder and he laughed as she disappeared into the bathroom. He got up as well, pulling on his boxers and shirt and running his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair. He should probably get back to his own rooms soon. No matter how badly he wanted to stay here with Elphaba forever, there was work to be done.

He wandered into Elphaba's foyer and started when all of a sudden, someone knocked on the door – impatiently, like they had been there knocking several times already.

"Elphaba Thropp," Galinda shouted from the other side of the door, "I'm coming in!" Before Fiyero could do anything, the lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing a clearly worried and positively fuming Galinda with burning blue eyes. The look on her face changed, however, when she took him in. Only then did Fiyero notice the three security guards behind her and he could feel himself flush.

"Fiyero…?" she asked, blinking. "What…"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, wanting to come up with an excuse, but unable to find one.

Galinda still looked dumbstruck. "You being in here when Elphaba isn't answering her phone could mean one of two things," she stated, taking him in from head to toe with a frown on her face. "Either you did something to Elphie, which, honestly, I don't think is very likely…" She studied him closely and pointedly from top to bottom, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she finished meaningfully, "…or you and Elphie _did something_."

He grimaced. "It's… not what it looks like?" he tried, but just then, Elphaba appeared from the bathroom dressed in nothing but her robe and he knew any further attempts at arguing would be pointless.

Galinda's twinkling blue eyes suddenly narrowed and she stomped into the room past Fiyero, not even bothering to close the door behind her – so Fiyero did that for her, smiling apologetically at the guards still outside. "Everything's fine," he told them.

All three of them were grinning knowingly. "We can see that," one of them said, chuckling, and Fiyero quickly closed the door with a head that was probably as red as a tomato. So far for the morning after not being awkward, he thought wryly.

"Elphaba Thropp!" Galinda was shrieking at her friend. "Do you have any idea how _worried_ we were?! You have a stalker and you almost got shot yesterday, and then you don't appear at breakfast and the twins say your door is locked, so we figured you'd just be sleeping in after everything that happened, or maybe working; but then Fiyero is nowhere to be found, either, and he doesn't answer his phone, and _you_ don't answer your phone, and no-one's seen you all morning, and the door's still locked… do you know how this looked to us?! We thought that guy managed to get in here somehow and kidnap you, or take you hostage, or rape and murder you! You don't get to lock your room and not answer your phone all morning when there's a stalker after you, Elphaba!"

Elphaba was looking as flustered and embarrassed as Fiyero felt. "Sorry," she muttered. "I must've forgotten to charge my phone last night."

"And mine was in my room," Fiyero added, "while I, obviously, wasn't. So… sorry."

Galinda glared at the both of them and then turned to Fiyero. "Did you tell those guards outside that everything is okay?"

He nodded and Elphaba cried, "You brought _guards_?!" She hadn't seen the three men behind Galinda before and Fiyero had hoped to spare her the mortification of knowing that three security guards – and probably soon everyone else in the Palace as well – now knew that she and Fiyero had slept together, but no such luck. She did look absolutely mortified. (Even though Fiyero couldn't help but think that even like this, with her cheeks on fire and looking like she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole, she looked very pretty. 'Mortified', just like pretty much everything else, was a good look on her.)

"I brought security, yes," Galinda said snippily. "We thought we were going to come in to find you either in the process of being murdered, raped, or kidnapped, or already dead or disappeared. Of course I brought security."

Elphaba bit her lip guiltily and Fiyero, pushing his fingers through his messy hair again, asked, "How did you even get in?"

Galinda held up a key. "Spare key," she said menacingly. "Elphie gave me one for emergencies. If it had been up to me, I would have used it two hours ago already, but Oscar reminded me how much Elphaba values her privacy and convinced me to wait another while for her to come out. He thought you were still asleep, Elphie, and said you needed your rest; but even he got worried when it got past nine and you still hadn't appeared. He says that in all the time you've been here with him, he's never seen you sleep past nine. I've been _dying_ for the past few hours here, Elphaba!"

The green woman shuffled back and forth a little like a small child having been caught with a hand in the biscuit jar. Fiyero cleared his throat awkwardly and Galinda crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"Now that we've established that Elphaba is fine," the bodyguard said slowly, "could we maybe… have some privacy?"

Galinda raised both eyebrows and looked him up and down again. Even though he was wearing a shirt and boxers now, it made him feel decidedly uncomfortable.

"No," the blonde PA decided. "You cannot. Get dressed, Fiyero, and then get out. I need to talk to Elphaba."

The young witch in question winced. With her friend using her full name, she knew she was about to be in for it and she heaved a deep sigh. This was _not_ a good way to start her day.

* * *

 **Better? *smirks***


	22. After

**22\. After**

As Fiyero, freshly showered and dressed, made his way over to the dining hall for breakfast, he couldn't help but feel like everyone he passed was whispering and chortling at him behind his back. He wondered if everyone knew by now or if it was just his imagination, but when he ran into Oscar and received a stern look from the mayor, eyebrows raised and lips pressed together in disapproval, he knew it was not his imagination at all.

Ducking his head, he continued to the dining hall and quickly gathered some food onto his plate, grateful to find the room empty. That didn't last long, though, as the twins burst in not long thereafter, giggling madly.

"Is it true that you slept with Mum last night?" Xalo asked with a wide grin on his face.

Fiyero, naïvely assuming the boy didn't yet know about the grown-up stuff and was actually referring to sleep, nodded. "Yeah, I stayed in her room."

"So you sexed," Xalo concluded and the older man choked on a sip of coffee, the liquid coming out of his nose and spraying all over his plate. That, of course, caused the kids to burst into giggles all over again.

"Shouldn't you be getting lessons from Cohvu?" Fiyero gasped between coughs.

The twins smirked. "We are," said Fawn and her brother added, "Auntie Galinda came to tell Uncle Cohvu that she caught you and Mum after having slept together and when we asked Cohvu if that meant you sexed, he said we'd have to ask you."

"It's _had sex_ , not _sexed_. Uncle Cohvu said so," Fawn told her brother before adding innocently to Fiyero, "Auntie Galinda said it'd make a good lesson on sexual education." She took a seat across from the bodyguard, put her elbows on the table, and rested her cheeks in her hands, green eyes gleaming. "So, Fiyero, sex is where babies come from, right? How does that work, exactly?"

Xalo sat down beside his sister and two pairs of expectant eyes settled on him.

Fiyero cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um… shouldn't you guys hear this from your mum?"

"We're asking you," Xalo said and the bodyguard nodded.

"Right." He cleared his throat again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, um… when… when two people love each other – a man and a woman, that is… although, you know, it could also be two men, or two women, but then… then the sex is a little… different… um…" He cursed Cohvu and Galinda for sending the twins to him. "Um, they, the man and the woman, that is, when they… love each other, usually, they kiss, you know, and then… um…"

"Save it, Fiyero," Elphaba's voice suddenly said from behind him and he nearly sagged with relief. Saved! Elphaba gave her children a stern look, but Fiyero could see the amusement sparking in her chocolate brown eyes. "They know all this already. We've had these kinds of talks on a regular basis over the years."

Fiyero frowned at the twins, who giggled again.

"Of course we already know," Fawn said when she saw the look he gave her and her brother. "We're nine. Not stupid."

"We just thought it would be fun," Xalo said with a broad grin and Elphaba rolled her eyes, although there was definitely a smirk playing around the corners of her mouth.

"Why don't you two leave poor Yero alone now and go back to your lessons with Cohvu?" she suggested and the twins sighed, but rose to their feet.

"Mum?" Xalo asked. "Does this mean you and Fiyero are dating after all?"

Fawn smirked a little. "I think they're doing more than just dating, Xalo," she said impishly, giggling; at which her brother made a disgusted face and exclaimed, "Ew! Gross!".

"Hey!" Elphaba said sternly, even though her cheeks were flushed and Fiyero could tell she was embarrassed.

"Well, are you? Dating?" Fawn asked and Elphaba glanced quickly at Fiyero.

"I think you should ask him," she said, nodding at the bodyguard.

Fiyero gave her a glare for shifting the responsibility of answering that question to him, even though he understood why she did it. _She_ had been very clear in her intentions, but she still wasn't entirely sure about his.

"Yeah, kiddo," he said lightly. "I think we are." Even from the corners of his eyes, he caught the mildly relieved smile that spread across Elphaba's face. "Although I need you to understand something, guys," Fiyero added, looking from Fawn to Xalo earnestly. "You can't tell anyone about this who doesn't already know, all right? No friends of yours and no other people. Can you promise me that?"

"Why?" Xalo asked.

Fawn answered for Fiyero. "Because Fiyero already got attacked once by the man who is after Mum, remember?"

Fiyero nodded solemnly. "And that man doesn't want your mum and me to be together."

"Why not?" asked Xalo, but again it was his sister who answered.

"Because he wants her for himself." She looked at Fiyero and then at her mother. "Right?"

Fiyero was actually a little baffled by the little green girl's perceptiveness, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he just nodded. "Exactly. But don't you two worry – he's not going to get her."

Xalo nodded, too, as if that explained everything. "Okay. We won't tell anyone." He and Fawn left the room then and Fiyero heaved a relieved sigh. It wasn't over with that, though. Now that most of Elphaba's employees knew as well, they'd have to figure out a way to keep everyone from telling what they'd heard. Then again, most of the people working at the Palace knew about the situation with Elphaba's stalker by now, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get them to keep quiet about the fact that the deputy mayor and her bodyguard had slept together.

"Thanks for saving me," Fiyero said to Elphaba. "I honestly thought I was going to have to explain the birds and the bees to them right there and then."

She grinned. "I would've loved to see that, but I decided to spare you." She filled her own plate with some food as well and sat down next to Fiyero, who looked at her.

"Fawn is more perceptive than I'd thought," he noted.

She nodded, smiling a little. "She is. She always notices everything, even though she doesn't always let it show that she knows. She's a lot like me – always on guard and always watching and observing from the background." She made a face. "Although I suppose that, ever since I've become deputy mayor, my days in the background have been over."

He reached out to take her hand. She looked a little surprised, but she smiled at him.

Their moment was interrupted by Oscar, who came into the room looking grim. "Elphaba?"

She let go of Fiyero's hand – much to his displeasure – and looked at her father, clearly anxious because of his tone and the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "You've got another letter."

* * *

 _You're not safe anywhere, Elphaba. Surely you can see that by now? If you let me protect you, you and your children will never be in danger again, I can promise you that. I'd be good to you. Give me a chance and let me love you, and I'll make sure you'll all be safe and happy for the rest of your lives._

"Such a low blow," she said under her breath as she read the note. She was scared, yes, but she also felt herself fuming with rage. Who was this person to threaten her and claim that she had to be with him? For the umpteenth time, she wished she knew who it was – if only so she could punch him in the face.

"What did you say?" Oscar asked.

Elphaba huffed and placed the letter on Galinda's desk. "He's not getting any response from me, so now he's using my children to lure me over to his side. He must know they're my weakness, but if he thinks he can sway me this way, he's got another thing coming. First he almost kills them and now he's offering to protect them?"

"He's getting desperate," Fiyero muttered, pacing up and down the room. "He's trying everything in his power to get you to consider him somehow."

"Well, he's not doing a very good job at it," Elphaba sneered.

Galinda looked concerned. "What if he realises she's not going to give in?"

The expression on Fiyero's face was grim as he stopped pacing to look at the blonde. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Galinda swallowed. Oscar muttered a curse under his breath.

Elphaba ran her fingers through her hair, both frustrated and afraid of what might happen. "Listen," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Next Friday is our group outing and especially after this, I have no doubt that our guy will be there. We'll all pay attention to our surroundings. With a bit of luck, we can figure out who it is and end this once and for all. Okay?" Without waiting for a reply, she stalked from the room, leaving Fiyero, Oscar, and Galinda behind in baffled silence.

"She's nervous," Oscar concluded and Galinda nodded seriously.

"Definitely," she agreed. "Very much so. There's no need for her to be, though. We'll all be there to help and protect her if necessary."

Oscar shook his head. "That's probably at least partly what she's nervous about," he pointed out to the petite PA. "After what happened the previous two times, first to Duran and then to Fiyero… she's afraid one of her friends is going to get hurt again."

Fiyero sighed. "We'll all try our hardest to prevent that from happening," he said tiredly, rubbing his forehead, "but there are no guarantees. We're dealing with a madman here."

"It will be fine," Galinda said comfortingly, touching his arm. "We're all prepared this time."

Fiyero nodded. He hoped she was right.

* * *

Elphaba wheedled Fiyero into agreeing to go on a date that night – a real date, dinner and a movie outside of the Palace. She could use some distraction and a change of scenery more than ever now. He only agreed on the condition that a couple of guards would be going with them, which she countered with the condition that those guards would stay outside while they had dinner and that they would not go into the movie theatre with them. Fiyero finished getting ready early for a change and he made his way over to the living room. Oscar was sitting there and the mayor looked up when Fiyero entered.

"Just the person I wanted to see," he said, putting his newspaper away and peering at the bodyguard over his spectacles. He patted the couch beside him and Fiyero hesitantly sat down.

"Now," Oscar began, "I'm sure you're aware of the fact that I – along with most of the other people in this building, I might add – know what happened between you and my daughter last night… or at the very least have a pretty good idea."

Instantly, Fiyero could feel his face turn red again. "Yes, sir."

Oscar regarded him sternly. "Listen, young man. I don't know exactly what Elphaba has told you about her past, but I know she did tell you about Avaric and at least the general gist of what happened between the two of them; and as her father, I feel it is my duty to make sure you will not hurt her."

"Before you continue, may I say something?" Fiyero asked politely.

Oscar motioned for him to go ahead.

"I don't claim to know everything about Elphaba," said Fiyero. "Not by far. Nevertheless, I think I know enough. She's told me a lot of things – about her childhood with Frexspar, her guilt about her mother and sister, her claustrophobia, Avaric, Frex kicking her out… As I said, I don't know everything, but by now she's told me enough for me to understand that she doesn't need any more heartbreak. She's been through enough."

Oscar nodded. "Indeed she has."

Fiyero leaned forward a little, meeting the older man's gaze. "I know that with my past reputation, this may seem hard to believe; but I genuinely do care about your daughter, Oscar. With every new thing I learn about her, I'm falling in love with her just a little bit more. I don't intend to hurt her. I can't promise you that we'll get married and live happily ever after, or that this will last forever, but I can assure you that I have no intention whatsoever of breaking her heart. You know what happened last night, but that wasn't me taking advantage of her. I would never have done it if I had doubted for even a clock-tick that it wasn't what she wanted."

Oscar studied him closely and silently for a little while. Fiyero felt his heart pounding in his chest. He suddenly felt like a teenager again, being scrutinised by his prom date's father to see if the man deemed him suitable enough to go out with his daughter.

Finally, the mayor nodded slowly. "All right. Thank you, Fiyero." He sat back a little, his eyes still on the bodyguard. "I'm not entirely certain how Elphaba feels about you," he confessed. "Frankly, the fact that you two are attracted to one another at all is surprising to me, especially given the way you seemed to loathe one another in the beginning. You two are very different – she so private and you quite open, she pessimistic and you optimistic, she constantly working hard for everything she wants and you having it all and yet throwing everything away for girls and parties… although judging from what you just told me, I take it those days are over now?"

"Yes, sir," Fiyero said firmly. "They've been for a while now, ever since I had to start making it on my own, but Elphaba is all the more reason for me not to relapse into my old behaviour."

Oscar nodded in approval. "Good. As long as you treat her with the love and respect she deserves and remember why you're here, I have no objections against your relationship with my daughter."

Fiyero wondered if Oscar having objections would have made any difference for his and Elphaba's relationship in the first place, but he didn't say that. He was glad the older man approved. "I realise that, Oscar. I'm here to protect her, first and foremost. Her and her family."

Oscar nodded and smiled at him. Fiyero smiled back.

* * *

 **It's my birthday tomorrow! (I completely forgot when I originally posted this. I don't think I've ever felt less like a soon-to-be birthday girl than this year, everything's just so busy - both inside my head and out!) Reviews make great presents and, as a treat, I might give you an extra update tomorrow... if I remember and if I can find the time. No promises. :3**


	23. Date

**Extra birthday update! Fun fact: I'm turning 23 today and it's actually a total and complete coincidence that this is also the 23rd chapter, haha. In any case, I had a wonderful day with wonderful presents, both from online friends and 'regular' friends, so thank you all!**

* * *

 **23\. Date**

The two men waited a little longer for Elphaba to make her appearance. The twins soon joined them, chattering excitedly to Fiyero about a friend of theirs who had been to Quadling Country and how awesome it was supposed to be there. Xalo complained that Elphaba was taking a long time, but Fawn reminded him that Auntie Galinda was probably helping her get ready and whenever Auntie Galinda was involved in prepping someone for something, things tended to take a little bit longer than they would have without her input.

When, after a while, Fiyero suddenly heard a sharp intake of breath from Fawn, he jumped for a clock-tick, convinced that something bad was happening. One look at her clasped hands and shining eyes, however, told him that was not quite the case. He noticed Xalo's jaw dropping and saw the awed look on Oscar's face. Only then did Fiyero slowly turn around.

Elphaba was standing in the doorway, clearly ready for a night out. She was wearing a short, dark purple dress, fitted around the waist and with a swishy skirt that flared out to her knees. The dress was made of a supple fabric that hugged her forms from the top down, but swirled around her legs when she walked, and it had a high halter neckline. She had paired it with low-heeled, open sandals in a silver colour and she was wearing some make-up, along with a few simple pieces of jewellery – silver stud earrings and a thin bracelet. Her hair had been swept up in a long, high ponytail. For someone who claimed to care or know so little about fashion, she sure knew how to pick exactly the right look for each occasion, even if Galinda had helped her. Fiyero understood the looks on her family's faces now. She always looked gorgeous, but tonight, she took his breath away. Galinda stood beside her, beaming at everyone's reaction.

"Wow, Mum," Xalo said, clearly impressed. "You look great."

"You're really beautiful," said Fawn and Elphaba smiled widely at her children.

"Thank you." She twirled around for them, making them cheer.

Oscar laughed and gave his daughter a thumbs-up. "You look wonderful, Elphaba."

She smiled at him and then turned to Fiyero, placing a hand on her hip and raising one eyebrow at him. "Well?"

"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," he told her, maybe a little overdramatically, but sincerely nonetheless. Xalo made gagging noises, even as Fawn softly said, "Aww". Oscar chuckled slightly.

Elphaba blushed a little, but she pretended she wasn't affected by the compliment at all. "Thanks." She turned around again. "Isn't it a little too much?"

"Not at all," said Oscar and Fiyero had to agree.

"It's perfect." He rose to his feet and moved over to her, lacing his fingers through hers and pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "You're perfect," he murmured so only she could hear, which made her scowl, but he saw the sparkle in her dark brown eyes. Recognising the compliments made her uncomfortable, he changed the subject, offering her his arm. "Shall we go?"

She rolled her eyes, but accepted the arm nonetheless.

"Right, that's my cue," said Galinda, wiping at a few tears. "I'm going to go back to Coco now. Have fun, you two."

"Galinda," Elphaba said in amazement when her friend passed her. "Are you _crying_?!"

"No," the blonde sniffled. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous, Elphie. Even I wouldn't cry about something simple as this."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow and the PA caved. "Oh, but Elphie, you two are just so sweet!"

The green woman just gave her a look. Galinda huffed and quickly brushed past her. "I'll see you all tomorrow, then. Don't stay out too late and be careful." Then she was gone.

Oscar chuckled. "That girl is getting more and more emotional every day."

"More dramatic, you mean," Elphaba corrected him, rolling her eyes once more. She turned and cast a stern look in Fawn and Xalo's direction.

"Listen to Grandpa," she instructed them. "Be good, okay?"

"Okay, Mum," they chorused before coming up to her to hug her tightly.

Xalo looked at Fiyero. "Nothing's going to happen to Mum, right?" he asked and Fiyero ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'll protect your mum," he promised him. "Don't you worry about that."

"And don't get yourself killed, either," Fawn warned, which made all the adults laugh.

"I'll try my best," said Fiyero, which was apparently good enough for her, because she nodded and let go of her mother. The kids then both hugged Fiyero as well, much to his surprise, before letting go of him and returning to Oscar.

"I want them in their beds by half past eight at the very latest," Elphaba told her father, who nodded obediently. He placed a hand on each twin's shoulder.

"Have fun," he said.

Elphaba nodded and finally allowed Fiyero to lead her from the room.

"They really are observant," said Fiyero as they made their way down the stairs.

Elphaba smiled a little wryly. "They're afraid, too. As Fawn told you this morning," she said teasingly, "they're nine, not stupid, and indeed a lot more observant than you'd think."

He laughed, took her hand, and kissed the back of it. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Fae," he said, which made her blush again.

He pretended to sigh and grumble as they moved down yet another flight of stairs, which made Elphaba stomp him in the arm. "If you hate stairs that much, you could've just taken the lift!"

"And miss out on five minutes of your company while you go down the stairs by yourself?" He winked at her. "I don't think so."

She rolled her eyes again.

"So," he said cautiously as they reached the second floor and took another flight of stairs down. "What did Galinda say to you this morning? After, you know, busting us and kicking me out of your rooms?"

Elphaba made a sour face at the memory. "Not much that was actually coherent," she said. "It was mainly squealing and gasping because _finally_ and was I sure and were you sure and does this mean we're actually together now because oh my Oz it's about time we make up our minds. Something like that."

Fiyero grinned. "That sounds like her."

"Nessa was harder to calm down," Elphaba added, looking rueful. "We usually text back and forth in the morning to let the other know we're okay, but she didn't get any response from me this time and she tried to call me, but I didn't pick up, obviously. She was a little frantic by the time I called her. It took me half an hour to convince her that everything really was okay, and then of course I had to tell her why I hadn't responded… she squealed nearly as loudly as Galinda over that, though."

Fiyero laughed.

They reached the hall and walked over to the front door, which Fiyero opened for her with a bow. "Milady."

He'd gotten Benn to drive them to the restaurant, which was, as they drove, already being checked by some of the guards. Elphaba thought it was all a little excessive, but after everything that had already happened, she didn't dare protest. The only thing she _really_ hated about it all was the fact that once again, she couldn't walk and she couldn't open a window as they drove.

Fiyero managed to distract her through most of the drive, however, and it was only a few minutes, so her anxiety wasn't too bad. They had a delicious dinner together, talking about all kinds of things – from the stalker, Avaric, the twins, and their families and pasts, to lighter topics such as university memories, friends, and both their interests. Fiyero asked her about her friends and about Shiz, which she told him about.

"I already told you about how Galinda and I became friends, but did I ever tell you how I met Duran?" she asked him and he shook his head. She grinned. "Well, he nearly ran me over."

Fiyero's eyebrows rose and Elphaba smirked. "I was reading whilst walking and he was trying to find a parking spot for his car. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings and neither was I, so he nearly hit me – he hit the brakes just in time. Judging from the fancy car he had, I thought he was going to come out and scream at me for being a stupid artichoke who nearly ruined his precious vehicle; but he was all apologies, asking me five times if I really was all right and didn't need to go to the ER. In hindsight, it was pretty funny."

Fiyero laughed. "How did you become a friend group, though?" he asked.

She paused thoughtfully. "I don't really know," she said. "It just… happened. I met Duran that day when he nearly ran me over and I saw him around on campus a few more times, but we didn't really become friends until we had to work on a class assignment together a few weeks later. Galinda and I still hated each other back then, but I'd already met Cohvu and Gaz, who were best friends even then, and they tried pretty hard to befriend me, for some reason. Once Galinda and I became friends, somehow we just ended up together as a group a few times, studying or having coffee or lunch, and eventually we became virtually inseparable."

"It must be nice to still see Galinda and Cohvu so often," said Fiyero.

She nodded, smiling. "It is. It's a shame I can't see Duran or Gazilon more often," she admitted. "Gaz lives quite far away and Duran is in the army – and of course it's not like I have a lot of free time to spare, either. It's hard for us to see one another on a regular basis, but we try. I'm looking forward to seeing them again next weekend." She looked troubled again at the thought, however, and Fiyero took her hand.

"Don't worry about next weekend," he told her. "Just relax and try to have a good time with your friends. Try not to worry too much. Leave that to me." She chuckled slightly and he smiled, pressing his lips briefly to the back of her hand. "You'll be fine, Fae. You concentrate on having fun and my guards and I will concentrate on catching our bad guy. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, smiling a little.

They moved on to the cinema not long thereafter, escorted by some security guards. As promised, however, they did not enter the movie theatre with them. Fiyero didn't think Elphaba's stalker would make a move there, anyway; it was a Friday night and the entire theatre was filled with people. They got some soda and popcorn and took two seats in the back, both so they had a clear view at the screen and so Fiyero could keep an eye on everyone else.

As it turned out, however, they didn't see a lot of the movie and Fiyero didn't keep an eye on anyone but Elphaba herself. The young witch felt a little like a love-struck teenager, but somehow, she and Fiyero ended up kissing most of the movie away. They were occasionally given the evil eye by some of the people around them, which made them giggle childishly. Just for a few hours, they didn't think about stalkers or threats or security measures. They were just two young people in love, acting silly and having a good time together.

* * *

The rest of the week passed, thankfully, quietly. Fiyero continued to work on tightening security and Elphaba remained mostly indoors, taking to going for long walks in the garden instead to satisfy her desire to not be cooped up between four walls all the time. She allowed Fawn and Xalo to go out a couple of times, but always under adult supervision and always with at least three guards there. She didn't want to take any risks with them.

She herself had a lot of things to take care of and people to meet, but every night, she spent time with either her family or Fiyero. It was weird, she thought, to finally be 'dating' like the girls at Shiz had all been doing so many years ago. She'd never really done that before. Here she was, twenty-six years old, and she was making herself look pretty for a man. Still, she didn't really mind.

Their 'dates' mostly took place inside the Palace – a few hours of reading together, a stroll through the garden, a private dinner, or just watching a movie in either of their bedrooms. More often than not, they spent the night together and Elphaba found herself quickly getting used to falling asleep and waking up with Fiyero's arms around her. It was strange, but it was also nice.

It wasn't long before the next Friday rolled around – the day of their group date. She was a little nervous about it all, despite Fiyero's reassurances.

"What if one of them gets hurt?" she asked that morning when she and Fiyero were still in bed, both of them too comfortable to get up.

"No-one will get hurt," Fiyero murmured, pressing kisses to her throat and neck. "There'll be security. We'll protect you all."

"But what if you don't notice him?"

He ran his fingers through her hair. "We'll all be keeping an eye out. If he's there, we'll notice him."

"And if he isn't there? What if he doesn't show up at all?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Then at least we tried," he said, cupping her cheek and turning her face in his direction. "Stop worrying, Fae. It'll be fine, one way or another. We'll figure it out." He kissed her softly.

"You keep saying that," she said, drawing away. "But you don't know if we'll figure it out. Maybe this guy will end up killing me after all. Maybe I'll be stalked by a creep the rest of my life."

He groaned and rested his forehead against her temple. "Oz, Fae, do you even know how to be optimistic or did that particular characteristic just didn't get programmed into your system?"

She stuck out her tongue. He grinned and rolled them over, pinning her beneath him. "It'll be okay," he said again, stressing each syllable. "Don't worry. Okay? Just have fun with your friends tonight."

"Mmh." He was kissing her again, almost reverently at first, but the kiss soon grew more passionate. "Okay," she mumbled against his mouth, just when he tried to deepen the kiss. His chuckle was muffled by her lips.

* * *

 **A nice and fluffy chapter. Enjoy it while you can, because the next chapter is going to have a cliffy once more! Muahahaha! (I mean, come on, I gotta start off this new year for me on the right foot, right?)**


	24. Friends

**Sorry, I forgot to update last night, but it's here now! A nice friendship chapter. With cliffy. But nothing too bad, I promise.**

* * *

 **24\. Friends**

Duran and Gazilon were already waiting at the restaurant when Elphaba and Fiyero arrived, both of them grinning and hugging Elphaba in greeting when they saw her.

"It's good to see you, El," said Gazilon, kissing her cheek. "I was a bit worried."

"Same here," Duran agreed. "Good to see you in one piece. And you look beautiful," he added, eyeing her appreciatively.

Elphaba rolled her eyes at them and introduced Fiyero to Gazilon. "Gaz, this is Fiyero, my… boyfriend, I guess. Yero, this is Gazilon."

Gazilon shook the guard's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Fiyero."

Duran's eyes had grown wide. "Wait. Boyfriend?" he asked, stunned. "When did that happen? Last time I saw you, you were pretty insistent you didn't have a boyfriend."

"I didn't, at the time," she admitted a little sheepishly. "I do now, though."

"I suppose sparks just start flying when you're stuck in the same place for over a month," Gazilon said knowingly and Elphaba and Fiyero both made a face, exchanging a knowing look.

"Not just the good kind of sparks, though," said Elphaba. "Not at first, anyway."

Fiyero chuckled and nodded in agreement.

Elphaba gave Gazilon a brief update on everything that had been going on, saving the complete story for later. Needless to say, he was quite shocked, but he promised to be on the lookout that night, as did Duran.

The four of them went inside and ordered some drinks as they waited for Galinda and Cohvu to arrive. Unsurprisingly, that took another half hour.

"Sorry we're late," Cohvu apologised, looking flustered as he sat down next to Gazilon. "Glin needed some extra time to get ready."

"As usual," Elphaba quipped. The blonde PA scowled at her, but didn't say anything as she took a seat beside her boyfriend and beckoned the waiter.

"You clearly took your time to get ready, too, Miss Elphie," she said to her green friend as the waiter came over to take Cohvu and Galinda's orders. "You look very nice."

"But I managed to look nice _and_ be on time," Elphaba teased, at which Galinda started scowling again and poked out her tongue at the dark-haired witch.

They ordered their food and chatted for a while about how they had all been and what they had been up to, catching up on everything that had happened since the last time they had seen each other. In the meantime, however, all six of them kept a close eye on their surroundings, looking out for anything suspicious.

"Elphaba?" Gazilon asked quietly after a while. "I would like to get the full story on what's going on later tonight, all right?"

She sighed, but nodded. "I'll tell you everything," she promised in a low voice. "But not here. We can go back to the Palace for a drink after we're done having dinner here."

The others nodded and Elphaba turned to ask Duran how things were going with his job in the military.

Naturally, after a while, Galinda was the one to change the subject to relationships and she asked Duran and Gazilon, curiously and none too subtly, if they were seeing anyone.

Duran laughed a little uncomfortably, rubbing his neck. "Um… no, not really. I mean, I'm working a lot, so I don't really have time to –"

"Why would you say 'not really', then?" Galinda pounced. "If your answer is 'not really', it means there's sort of something going on, right?" Her eyes were shining and she either didn't notice or completely ignored the exasperated and warning looks Elphaba and Cohvu sent in her direction.

Duran chewed the inside of his cheek. "There's someone I like," he admitted finally. "But I don't think she has any idea."

Galinda squealed. "You should tell her!"

"Galinda, no," Duran protested, but for the blonde, the matter was settled and she turned to Gazilon.

"And you?"

He looked faintly alarmed. Even if there _was_ someone, Elphaba thought wryly, he'd probably be afraid to admit it now.

"No," he said quickly. "There's no-one."

Galinda pushed, of course, until at last Cohvu cleared his throat to interrupt his little blonde tornado. "There's our food."

"Saved by the food," Duran muttered under his breath. Gazilon and Elphaba, who were flanking him on both sides, heard and suppressed laughter, the three of them sharing a look.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the food didn't faze Galinda and she continued to ask questions. When Gazilon eventually, almost desperately, diverted attention from himself by asking about Elphaba's new relationship with Fiyero, the green woman was Galinda's next target. Instead of asking questions, however, she started telling Duran and Gazilon in detail all she knew about Elphaba and Fiyero, including the morning she'd caught them in Elphaba's room together – much to the latter two's horror.

It was a nice night, relaxed and fun, and it was good to catch up; but unfortunately, by the time they had finished their dinner, dessert, and an extra drink three hours later, there was still no sign of anything amiss. Elphaba briefly considered staying at the restaurant for another hour or so, but realistically, she knew it wouldn't be of any use. If the guy hadn't shown up yet, he wasn't going to.

They paid and left _Square One_ , returning to the Palace. The deputy mayor almost _hoped_ they would be attacked or something, just so they could catch their guy; but nothing happened and they entered the Palace feeling relieved and disappointed at the same time.

They gathered in the sitting room upstairs – Duran and Gazilon taking the stairs along with Elphaba, while Galinda, Cohvu, and Fiyero took the lift – and Elphaba poured them all a glass of wine, sitting down on the couch and heaving a weary sigh.

"Well," she said, swirling the wine in her own glass around and staring at it miserably. "That wasn't really a success."

Gazilon touched her knee. "I'm sorry, El."

"Will you tell us the full story now?" Duran asked and Elphaba, Galinda, and Fiyero told them everything, including the parts the two men already knew, from the very beginning. Duran and Gazilon were both horrified.

"But…" Duran leaned forward a little. "Don't you agree with Nessa that it's pretty likely your guy is Avaric?" he asked. "He has the motive; he's been in your house, so he would know the way to your bedroom…"

Elphaba nodded reluctantly, biting her lip. "Fiyero and I talked about that," she confessed, "but we're not entirely sure. There are some things that don't make sense. How would Avaric know we were in Munchkinland? Why would he try to kill his own children? Those kinds of things."

Duran nodded slowly. "Those are good points."

"Do you have any other suspects?" Gazilon asked and Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look.

"Not yet," said Fiyero.

Galinda heaved a deep sigh. "It seems so hopeless, doesn't it? We're completely in the dark here."

"Don't worry," Duran said confidently. "You'll figure it out sooner or later. Just be careful, okay?"

Elphaba smiled at him. "Always."

Cohvu coughed meaningfully. Duran, Gazilon, and Galinda also all looked sceptical and Elphaba threw her hands into the air. "All right, fine! I'm not generally very careful," she conceded, glaring at her old friends. "I am now, though. I won't risk the twins losing me, but I also don't want to put my entire life on hold and lose everything – my career, my friends – just because some man is being creepy, do you understand that?"

They all nodded. "We do," Cohvu assured her.

The rest of the conversation was mainly about lighter topics, none of them wanting to dwell on the subject of the stalker when there was nothing they could do about it anyway. Of course they were all disappointed that the evening hadn't led to any new discoveries, but they decided to have a nice rest of the evening together rather than spend it moping around.

Galinda and Cohvu bade them good night around half past midnight. By that time, they were all a little intoxicated and they were still having lots of fun, but Galinda felt tired and Cohvu decided to take her home. Not long after that, the other two men also decided to leave.

"Where is your bathroom?" Gazilon asked Elphaba.

She started pointing him down the hall, but Fiyero rose to his feet. "I'll show you," he said. "Trust me – you won't be able to find it on your own. This place is a maze."

Elphaba grinned. "Fiyero still occasionally gets lost here," she informed the other two men. "Even after having been here for well over a month."

Fiyero mock-scowled at her and she stuck out her tongue, a gesture he returned before showing Gazilon out of the room. The moment they were gone, Duran turned to face Elphaba, suddenly serious. "El, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

"What is it?" she asked, looking at him a little worriedly. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine. It's just…" He hesitated.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," she encouraged him. "That's what friends are for."

"Right." He nodded again. "Okay. Well… this is a little awkward, but… do you remember, back when we were at Shiz, when I… um… had a crush on you?"

She laughed at the memory. "Of course I remember. It was awkward as hell, although I'll admit it was flattering." She shook her head. "What about it, though?"

She saw the look on his face and her smile melted right off her own face. "Oh, Duran… I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me," she apologised, slightly horrified with herself.

He forced a wry smile. "Well, I guess I've got my answer, then, don't I?"

She bit her lip. "That girl you were talking about earlier, when Galinda asked… that was me?"

He nodded, making a vague gesture towards her. "And this is why I didn't really want to tell you."

She sighed, scooting a little closer to him and touching his arm lightly. "Dur, you're one of my best friends and I love spending time with you, but I've never felt that way about you. I didn't then and I don't now. I'm sorry," she said again. "I wish I could be that girl for you, but I can't. Besides, I've got Fiyero now," she pointed out.

He looked a little sour. "You do, I guess, but… I know his reputation, El. I'm guessing you do, too. Do you really think that could last? At least you know you can trust me," he said a little bitterly. "We've been friends for years. You know me a lot better than you know him, so why would you give him a chance and not me?"

"Because I don't believe love is something logical, nor is it something you can force," Elphaba said calmly. "With Fiyero, there's a spark. Something special. I care about you, Dur – a lot – but you're more a big brother to me than boyfriend material, just like Cohvu and Gazilon."

He nodded, resigned. "Fine. It's all right. I understand. I hadn't expected anything else, really." He paused, watching her closely. "Just… please do be careful," he begged her. "I don't want to see you getting hurt, okay? Either physically or emotionally, and since you've got a stalker after you _and_ just got into a new relationship, either scenario seems pretty likely right now. And please don't let things be awkward between us now," he added, making a face. "Even if you don't feel the way I do, I'm still your friend. I want to be there for you."

His worry for her lately, the phone calls and texts to check up on her, made more sense now. She felt horrible, having to reject him again, but she'd just never felt that way about him and she didn't want to lead him on, either. "Of course."

He smiled a little. "Thanks. And I meant what I said before. If there's anything I can do to help you find out who is after you, or to help you with anything at all, really, just let me know."

Gazilon and Fiyero returned and Duran quickly glanced at the two men before abruptly rising to his feet. "Where did you say that bathroom was?" he asked Fiyero a little brusquely.

The bodyguard pointed the way again, walking with Duran out into the hallway, and Gazilon gave Elphaba a questioning look. "Is everything all right?"

She plastered on a smile and nodded. "Fine. Duran just wanted to talk about something." She wasn't about to betray his trust, even though Gazilon was a good friend of them both.

Once Duran and Gazilon had left, though, she did tell Fiyero, who grimaced.

"Ouch," he said. "That's painful – both for you and for him. Are you okay?"

She smiled a little and leaned against him. "I'm fine, really. It's just a lot all at once, and I hate letting people down. I know I did the right thing, but it didn't really feel that way. That look on his face… he really was devastated. He's never been very good with girls," she explained to Fiyero. "He's handsome and friendly, but he can also be a little awkward and shy, especially around the other sex. That was already the case back at Shiz and he hasn't had a serious girlfriend ever since." She bit her lip. "I feel bad for him."

He kissed her softly. "You did the right thing, hon."

"I know. He'll get over it. It's just yet another thing happening, on top of everything else. He really wants to help find my stalker, too – probably even more so than my other friends, due to his feelings for me – and he's frustrated that we don't seem to be making any progress. He's scared for me."

"He's not the only one," said Fiyero and she gave him a slightly wry smile.

"I know." She sighed and turned around. "Come on, let's go to bed. I'm tired and I think that wine went to my head."

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Your bed or mine?"

She elbowed him between the ribs. "You in yours and I in mine. I didn't have _that_ much wine," she said sternly, which made him pout.

Fiyero dropped Elphaba off at her room, kissing her good night before turning around to head to his own chambers. He hadn't even made it to his door, however, when he heard her voice calling from her rooms, trembling slightly and sounding a little strange.

"Fiyero?"

He quickly went back. "Yes?" he called back, moving through the open door into Elphaba's foyer. The young witch was standing in the doorway to her bedroom with a strange expression on her face.

She looked at him. It instantly became clear to him that she was putting on a brave face, trying to be casual, but he could see the fear underneath. "I guess this answers the question of your bed or mine," she said, attempting to sound light, but her voice was still shaking. "It'll have to be yours."

He cautiously glanced into her bedroom and instantly cursed when he saw it. There was a knife stuck in her pillow, feathers everywhere and red paint splattered not just over the pillow, but the rest of the bed as well. On the wall was written in the same red paint, _I'm coming for you, my love_.


	25. Theories

**So your current suspects are Benn, Rodger, Duran, Gazilon, Avaric, and Madame Morrible (I love how you guys bring her into this even though she hasn't even made an actual appearance in this story. Then again, you all know me and my writing, so I suppose you have a point). You won't find out for sure for another while yet, but I'm glad it's still not too obvious who it is.**

* * *

 **25\. Theories**

Elphaba usually slept better with Fiyero than alone. Her own theory about that was that, despite the fact that she'd always tried to be independent, there was a part of her that longed to be taken care of by someone. She thought that sleeping with someone's arms around her made her feel safe, however subconsciously.

That night, however, she hardly slept at all.

There was nothing new going through her mind, aside perhaps from the question of how this was possible. Fiyero had secured the building, so who had managed to get inside and up to her bedroom without anyone noticing? He had urged her to go to sleep, but he himself hadn't joined her until a few hours later. She suspected he'd been downstairs, going over the security camera footage with her head of security to see if the guy had been captured on camera. By the time he got back, she had drifted off into a fitful sleep and so she didn't get a chance to talk to him about it until morning.

When she awoke, however, Fiyero was gone again and so she slunk down the hallways in her pyjama trousers and T-shirt, returning to her own room to shower and get dressed. She had breakfast with Oscar and the twins, who somehow sensed that something was wrong, but she pretended that everything was perfectly fine. Fawn and Xalo accepted this eventually and moved onto a different subject, namely the question of whether or not they were allowed to go with Galinda and Cohvu into town that afternoon.

"Auntie Galinda stopped by this morning," Xalo explained seriously. "She and Uncle Cohvu say that they'd love to take us out for the day and we can have ice cream and go to the playground and have lunch at that place where they have the bear-shaped pancakes…"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed tiredly, poking at her cereal with her spoon without eating more than a few bites. "Go with Galinda and Cohvu – they love having you guys around and I think you could use some time out of the Palace."

"Yay!" Xalo exclaimed.

Fawn glanced at her mother. "Are you sure it's okay if we go, Mum?"

Elphaba gave the little green girl her best shot at a reassuring smile. "It's fine, honey, really. Just go find Fiyero first and tell him to send a few guards with you, okay?"

Fawn nodded. "Okay."

Elphaba wondered when it had gotten to the point where she not only refused to let her kids outside without security, but where said kids actually found it normal that such a precaution was necessary. It was sad, really. She hated it. Then again, she hated a lot of the things that were currently going on in her life. She hated having a stalker sneaking into her bedroom, too.

She sighed and poked some more at her cereal, half-heartedly waving at Fawn and Xalo when they leapt up, kissed her cheek, and ran from the room to get dressed.

Oscar looked at her. "Elphaba?"

She glanced up at him and then down at her breakfast again. "You already know about last night." It wasn't even a question – she could see it in his face.

He nodded, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Fiyero told me this morning. He told Galinda and Cohvu as well."

"So that's why they offered to take the twins off my hands today." Elphaba sighed again. "Well, it's appreciated, if unnecessary. I can handle this, you know. I managed to handle everything else so far."

"I know." Oscar looked solemn. "You might need a little extra help handling this one, though."

She suddenly sat up straighter, looking at him intently. There was something about the sound of his voice that she didn't like. "Dad?"

He averted his gaze.

"What do you know?"

He shook his head. "Not much," he said.

"But something."

He bit his lip. "Listen, Elphaba… security was tightened," he said, looking unhappy. "No-one could have gotten in and up to your bedroom, then out again, unnoticed."

"So I'm assuming whoever it was didn't go unnoticed," said Elphaba. "We caught him on camera, didn't we?"

"We did, but once again, we didn't get his face."

Elphaba sighed through her nose, then pinched the bridge of it in frustration. "Let me guess. Black hoodie hiding his face from view?"

Oscar nodded. "But still, Elphaba… We've got alarm systems, security checks, the whole circus. Fiyero said that there is absolutely no way someone managed to get inside and upstairs without having passed several guards, who must have searched him, so how did he get that knife up? It doesn't make any sense. No-one has seen or heard anything suspicious that evening, so how did he get in?"

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at him.

"Dad. What aren't you telling me?"

He sighed deeply. "I just have a bad feeling about this, Elphaba," he said quietly. "Fiyero has some suspicions that you're not going to like. This stalker of yours… Fiyero thinks it's not a stranger, sweetheart."

He never called her that. He hardly ever called her anything other than her name, which told her how bad this really was. Then again, she thought as his words fully sunk in, if her stalker really wasn't a stranger, if it was someone she knew…

"He's suspecting my friends," she said, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place. "Isn't he? He thinks it's either Duran or Gazilon – maybe even Cohvu. Probably Duran, though, given his confession about being in love with me last night."

Oscar looked shocked. "He said that?"

"He's had a crush on me before, Dad," she reminded him. "People have crushes on their friends all the time. It doesn't make them bad people, let alone creepy stalkers. It might not mean anything."

"Unless it does," said Oscar.

Elphaba didn't reply, instead just stabbing at her food. "He would never do such a thing. Neither would Gazilon. I don't believe this – Dad, I've known them for nearly eight years already! Don't you think I'd have known if one of them was an obsessive jerk?"

"I know, Elphaba. Believe me, I know. I can't imagine it myself, but if Fiyero says that security is too tight for anyone else to have come in, how would you explain it?"

"I don't know!" she burst out. "One of our employers? Just someone who's really, really good at sneaking around and getting into buildings unnoticed?"

Oscar looked sceptical. "Elphaba…"

"Oscar?" Fiyero appeared in the doorway, then grimaced when he saw Elphaba. "Fae. We… We found proof. Or, well… Something that points in a direction we don't really like." He glanced at Elphaba. "He told you?"

She nodded, suddenly feeling a little nauseous, and Fiyero sighed and raked his fingers through his sandy hair.

"We found something in your bedroom," he said. "A cufflink. One with the military insigne on it."

The room started spinning.

"Duran," she whispered. "Oh my Oz. It's Duran, isn't it? He could have gone up to my room when he went off to find the bathroom. He was at the party, too… But how could he do such a thing?" She felt dizzy. She could tell from the look on Fiyero's face that she was right, even though she really wished she hadn't been. "Oh my Oz…"

"Elphaba?" Oscar looked very worried suddenly and he pushed his chair back, hurrying over to her. "Come on, breathe. You look as if you're about to faint. Here, have some juice," he urged her and she sipped some, more to please him than because she really felt like having it. Her mind was racing, more and more things finally falling into place. His confession about loving her. The things he'd said about Fiyero and how it could never last. He'd known that they had gone to Munchkinland, she'd told him about it; he could have followed them easily. She'd thought she could trust him…

She looked up at the sandy-haired bodyguard standing next to her, looking solemn and a little sad. "Fiyero," she said, trying her hardest to keep her breathing under control. "Please tell me the guy who has been threatening me, stalking me, and attempting to kill you and the twins isn't one of my best and oldest friends. Please."

Fiyero couldn't keep looking at her. Instead, he only took her hand and squeezed it, saying quietly, "I'm so sorry, hon."

His only warning was a single strangled sound from Elphaba's lips. Then she was suddenly on her feet, hurling her empty coffee cup across the room, shrieking curses that made both men pale visibly. The cup crashed against the opposite wall, shattering into pieces.

Then Elphaba did something Fiyero and her father had only ever seen her do a handful of times before.

She burst into tears.

"Oh, Elphaba. Oh, dear," said Oscar, putting his arms around her and hugging her a little awkwardly. She buried her face in his shoulder, crying, and he rubbed her back and tried to comfort her.

Fiyero moved to stand in front of her and touched her arm. "Fae, I'm sorry," he said solemnly.

Her mind was reeling. One of her best friends… or so she'd thought. How could he have done such a thing? When had this even started? They'd been in touch on a regular basis since Shiz, so when had his crush on her developed into something far more creepy and obsessive – and why hadn't he started his stalker-ish behaviour until a couple of months ago?

"Fae?" Fiyero said quietly. When she raised her head from her father's shoulder to look at him, he said, obviously reluctant, "There's more."

Anxiety twisted her insides into a knot all over again and she let go of Oscar. "What do you mean, there's more?"

"The gunman," he said. "The one who tried to shoot you after your dinner with President Sevens at _The Silver Swan_?"

"What about him?"

Fiyero bit his lip. "He's been questioned and he confessed that he never wanted to shoot you, even though he really does disagree with your policies," he explained as carefully as he could. "He doesn't want you in power, but he's not a murderer. He said there was another man who bribed him and threatened his family unless the guy attempted to shoot you."

"Let me guess," Elphaba said bitterly. "That other man was Duran?"

"From the gunman's description, it looks like it," Fiyero nodded and Elphaba heaved a deep sigh, rubbing her temples. She could feel a pounding headache coming up.

"Who can I still trust, if not even my own friends?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Are you going to tell me next that Galinda was in league with Duran all along? Or that you helped him get inside my house? Can I still trust anyone at all?"

Fiyero sighed. "Fae…"

She knew this wasn't really fair of her, but she couldn't help but wonder. She'd never suspected a thing. If Duran could do it, anyone could, and that scared her. She'd never thought one of her closest friends would betray her like this.

Before she knew it, there were tears leaking from her eyes again and Fiyero pulled her close, allowing her to bury her face in his shirt. He put his arms around her and just held her for a while, resting his chin on the top of her head as he shared a look with Oscar.

"It'll be all right," he said quietly. "I know it doesn't seem that way now, Fae, but it will be. We'll bring him in for questioning and find out if it was really him."

She nodded, but she didn't emerge from his embrace for a long time.

* * *

She went to get her phone, which she had left in Fiyero's room, not much later, only to find that she had a text from Gazilon saying he was sorry they hadn't discovered anything about Elphaba's stalker, but that he'd had a great time last night and that he was already on his way back north, but he'd love to do something like it again soon.

"Gaz is going back home," Elphaba said to Fiyero when she came back into the sitting room where she'd left him. "That means he's no longer staying with Duran. He must be home alone now – Duran, I mean."

Fiyero nodded grimly. "We should try to get to him right away. I'll go right now." He kissed her temple, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? I know this is a shock, but however this turns out, we'll deal with it. If it's really him, we won't let him get away with this; if it's not, we'll find out who is."

She nodded, even though she wasn't convinced by far, and then she watched him go. She wasn't even sure if she hoped it would be Duran, just so they'd know who it was and this whole nightmare would be over; or if she didn't, because she couldn't bear the thought of a good friend betraying her like this. She just couldn't imagine Duran doing anything like this. Duran, with whom she'd downed so many glasses Gillikin wine just so she could prove to him that she could still recite all articles of the Ozian convention on minority protection even when she was drunk. Duran, who had been so genuinely horrified upon nearly running her over and who'd apologised for it endlessly. Duran, who'd been one of the first people to look past her skin and see the person she was inside; one of the first friends she'd ever had.

How could he have done such a thing?

She was glad the twins would be staying with Cohvu and Galinda for the rest of the afternoon, because she didn't think she'd be able to explain to them what was going on. She had a hard time even grasping it herself.

She went to her office and tried to get some work done, but her mind kept wandering and she couldn't concentrate. She absently clicked open an email reminder about the gala that would be hosted by Mayor Samms of Quadling City, a friend of Oscar's, in two weeks' time, to celebrate the fact that he'd been mayor for ten years straight and would retire the next year. Would she even be able to go? If Duran really was her stalker and Fiyero had him arrested, her life could be completely back to normal by the time this gala rolled around. It was a strange thing to imagine.

Then again, she mused, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and staring out of the window without really seeing anything, would her life ever really be normal again after this? Somehow, she doubted it.

She didn't see Fiyero the rest of the day; she only received a text from him saying Duran had been taken into custody and would be questioned now. Fiyero wanted to be there for that, so he wouldn't be back for another while yet.

 _So far he's denying everything,_ the bodyguard wrote, _but I promise, if it's him, we'll make him talk._

For some reason, that gave her a knot in her stomach.

 _Don't be too hard on him, okay? We don't know for sure it's him._

His reply sounded a little indignant.

 _I'm not a savage, Fae. It's not like we're going to torture him into confessing, or something._

She sighed and rested her head on her arms, looking out of her window again. Rationally, of course she knew that Fiyero and anyone else involved wouldn't be swarming around Duran like a bunch of barbarians to beat the truth out of him. Still, before her mind's eye, she imagined her old friend tied up and terrified and Fiyero and the others laughing maniacally as they danced around him with pitchforks and torches.

She shook her head and sat up straight. Right, that's it. She really needed a good night's sleep for once.

Her phone gave another _ping_ and she opened Fiyero's next message.

 _Don't wait up for me tonight. Just sleep in your own bed and make sure you lock the door to your rooms, okay? I'll tell you everything in the morning._

She sighed again. Just wonderful. So far for a good night's sleep. She knew she'd never be able to sleep well in her own room by herself – not after what happened there twice now. Even with her door locked, who was to say she was really safe in there? Especially if she was sleeping alone.

Listlessly, she went downstairs to pour herself a cup of coffee and she spent the rest of the afternoon reading in the library – or trying to, anyway, since she couldn't really focus on her book. When Galinda, Cohvu, and the twins returned, she did her best to greet them enthusiastically, listened to their stories about the fun time they'd had in town, and then sent them off to the living room to play. She took Galinda and Cohvu to the dining room to explain to them what new developments had been going on during their absence.

Galinda was shocked, but she tried to hide it, instead focusing on her friend and hugging her. "Oh, Elphie. Are you going to be okay?"

Elphaba shrugged and the blonde squeezed a little harder. "Listen. You and the twins can come have a sleepover at our place, if you want."

Cohvu nodded solemnly. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. We have a guest room."

The green woman smiled at them both tiredly. "Thanks for the offer, but I shouldn't. Despite the fact that someone got in here _again_ the other day, the Palace is still the most secure place around. Besides, I don't want to leave Oscar here by himself and I also don't want to take the twins out of their home again. Not after what happened last time."

"Okay." Cohvu touched her shoulder briefly. "We understand. If you need anything, though…"

"Thanks," she said with a sigh. "I think we'll just all crawl into either Fawn or Xalo's bed tonight, and hopefully Fiyero will have more news for us tomorrow."

She texted Fiyero to let him know they'd all be sleeping in Fawn's room – just in case he came to check up on her in the middle of the night and found her door unlocked and her bed not slept in – and pretended to the kids that they'd just be having a fun sleepover. She brought tea and small cakes up into Fawn's room for an after-dinner picnic, helped the kids build a tent out of the blankets, and chased them around the room until they were breathless with laughter. Even if she herself couldn't for a moment forget about what was going on, Fawn and Xalo certainly deserved to and she was happy to see them happy.

Still, once they were actually in bed that night and settled in to sleep, Elphaba was unable to. On either side of her, her son and daughter had dropped off almost immediately, for which she was grateful. She tried to sleep as well, but after a couple of hours, she gave up and got out of bed.

She stood in front of the window for a while, watching the stars and thinking everything over, but she soon stopped that. Thinking things over had never been very good for her nerves. Instead, she glanced at the twins once more before leaving the room and heading for the kitchen, smiling a little at the memory of having done the same thing in Munchkinland a couple of weeks ago. It was a shame she probably wouldn't find Fiyero there this time.

She made herself some warm milk and after half an hour or so, she went back down the hallway, intending to try once more to get some sleep. When she passed the door to Fiyero's rooms, she paused and quietly opened it, slipping inside. She moved over to his bedroom door and peeked in. He was there, sprawled across the bed with his mouth slightly open, fast asleep. She smirked a little at the sight and then sneaked out again. At least he was back safely.

She returned to the twins' room and crawled back into bed with them. Fawn stirred and half-opened her eyes, mumbling, "Mum?"

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie," Elphaba whispered, stroking her daughter's hair. "Go back to sleep."

Fawn snuggled into her mother's side and Elphaba smiled, pressing a kiss to the little green girl's hair and then closing her own eyes as well. This time, sleep came much more easily.

* * *

 **Reviews are love!**


	26. Fun

**Sorry this update is late again, I've been (and still am) really busy with a lot of things at once. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update tomorrow night, either; otherwise the next update will come Monday morning (my time).**

 **This is a nice, fluffy chapter for you, though!**

* * *

 **26\. Fun**

"Okay," a voice said from the doorway to the dining room and Fiyero looked up from his scrambled eggs and bacon to find Elphaba standing in the doorway, still in the flannel pyjama trousers and tank top she'd slept in and with her glasses perched on her nose, but looking wide awake. She came into the room and let herself fall down on the chair opposite his, pulling the elastic band from her long hair and starting to undo her braid. "Spill. What did you find out yesterday?"

Fiyero sighed wearily and stabbed at his eggs again. "Not much," he admitted grudgingly. "Duran isn't talking. Or, well, he's talking," he corrected himself, "but the only thing he keeps saying is that it wasn't him, that he didn't stalk you or attack anyone, and that he would never do such a thing to you."

He could see the spark of hope in Elphaba's eyes at that and his heart went out to her. He himself had lost contact with all his friends after he'd left the Vinkus, but he did remember what it was like to have them. He understood how badly she wanted her friend to be just that – her friend – and not the man who had been scaring her for the past couple of months.

"Listen, Fae," he said, reaching for her hand across the table and squeezing it. "I know you want to believe that he's not our guy, but you have to agree with me that it's very suspicious. I left him alone for a while after pointing him to the bathroom, so he had the opportunity. He's in love with you, he told you that himself, so he also has the motive. Besides, how else would you explain the cufflink with the military insigne?"

"Coincidence?" she suggested, but Fiyero just gave her a look.

"Your stalker is coincidentally in the military, just like Duran, and he struck on the same night Duran confessed to you that he's in love with you?"

She bit her lip and he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. "I'm sorry, hon," he said, "but honestly? I think Duran is lying. It's the most logical explanation."

"For you, maybe!" she burst out, pulling her hand out of his and running both her hands through her now-loose hair. "You don't really know him, but I do, Fiyero! I don't believe he could do something like this!"

He didn't say anything. He understood it had to be hard to accept for her, but he really did believe it had indeed been Duran.

"Besides," she added, her dark eyes piercing when she looked at him, "how would he have sneaked that knife inside the Palace to stick in my pillow? He passed every security check you put in place while I was in Munchkinland, including a metal detector. How did he do that, then, huh?"

Fiyero blinked. He hadn't even though of that yet. "Wait. He sneaked the knife in?"

Elphaba looked at him as if he were crazy. "Well, it's not like I leave knives lying around my bedroom, Yero," she said sarcastically.

"I thought…" He shook his head. "I somehow just assumed that the knife was yours – that he got it from your kitchen or from the dining room."

She tilted her head a little to the side. "There's only one way to find out," she said. "All the big knives we have are kept in the kitchen in a large knife block. If one is missing, Duran must have taken it. If not, do you agree with me that it might not have been him?"

Fiyero pushed his chair back and rose to his feet, waiting for her to do the same. "I suppose. Although then the question remains who it really was – not to mention how _he_ got the knife in."

"One step at a time," she told him as she moved past him and led the way into the kitchen.

The cook, a bald man who was busy preparing something on the stove, looked up when they entered and smiled warmly at Elphaba. "Good morning, Elphaba," he greeted her. "Come to try out another recipe?"

At the questioning look Fiyero gave the young witch, she shrugged. "I like to cook," she said. "Whenever I have some free time, I usually go to the library to read, but I also often spend a few hours in the kitchen, trying out new recipes."

Fiyero was impressed. Wryly, he realised there was still so much about Elphaba that he didn't know. He was hoping he'd find out, though. When the stalker business was dealt with, that was.

The cook winked at Fiyero. "Of course, now that she's got you, I'd imagine she'll have other uses for her free time," he said jovially, at which Elphaba flushed and Fiyero rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He'd almost forgotten that the entire Palace staff was aware of the fact that they'd slept together, thanks to those three guards and their big mouths. Awkward.

"Harron," Elphaba said, clearing her throat and getting down to business. "Are you by any chance missing a knife from the knife block?"

The cook's eyebrows rose and he nodded at the knife block on the counter. "They're all there – see for yourself. Why are you asking?"

Elphaba gave him a look and Harron pressed his lips together. "Oh. The stalker thing? What happened?"

"Let's not get into that," she said tiredly, rubbing one of her temples. "No knives are missing?"

He shook his head. Just to be sure, she and Fiyero moved over to check the knife block; but as Harron had said, all the knives were there.

Elphaba looked at Fiyero. "So he didn't get it from here," she said, a hint of relief in her voice. "That means it can't have been him, right?"

"It could," said Fiyero, but when he saw her face fall, he added, "but it's becoming less and less likely."

Elphaba turned around. "Thanks, Harron," she said to the cook before leaving the kitchen. Fiyero followed her, not back to the dining room, but down the hall to his own rooms instead.

Once she was standing in his foyer, she let out a breath she'd been holding and turned to face him. "Now what?"

"Now I go back to the police station to inform the others of what we found out," he said, "and then we'll see if Duran has maybe seen something else when he was here. Anything at all that could point us in the right direction."

Elphaba nodded. "Okay. Can I come?"

He gave her a look. "No, Fae."

She crossed her arms, obviously sulking. "I'm tired of sitting here waiting for news all the time, Fiyero. It's driving me crazy. I'm not good at waiting. I prefer taking action."

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry, hon, but there's not much you can do right now."

"Where did that come from, anyway?" she muttered as she put her chin on his shoulder. "The 'hon', I mean?"

She felt his grin and heard it in his voice, rather than saw it. "I don't know. I just thought it'd be nice to have a nickname for you, other than 'Fae', and for some reason you don't strike me as the type of woman who would tolerate her boyfriend calling her 'dear', 'love', or even 'honey'. I thought 'hon' would be relatively safe."

She smirked. "It's a little… I don't know. Perky. It just sounds like something that would be used by teenagers, not adults."

"Are you calling me childish?" he asked, pretending to be wounded, and she chuckled.

"Never mind. It's fine. I kind of like it," she admitted. "You know, since I skipped the whole teenage romance stage, anyway. Because of my skin, and because of Avaric… I've never had a boyfriend before to call me nicknames or to go on dates with, you know? So it's kind of nice to have that now, immature as it may be."

He grinned at her again. "Well, I'm about as immature as they come and I wasn't planning on ever growing up, so you're lucky," he teased her, kissing her nose. "Look, I know it's hard for you to have to stay here, but with a bit of luck it won't be necessary for much longer. Let me handle this for you. It's Sunday, so leave your work be for the rest of the day and do something fun. Find the twins and go play tag with them in the garden, curl up in the library with a book, or go try out one of those recipes you mentioned earlier…" He shook his head. "You never really struck me as the cooking type, to be honest, so I was a little surprised to hear about that just now."

"I used to cook for my father and Nessa when I was young," she said with a tiny smile. "It was one of the chores Frex made me do that I actually liked. You've tasted my cooking before, too," she reminded him. "Remember all that food at the picnic in Munchkinland? The fresh bread, the cakes, the dinner leftovers we heated up?"

"That was all your cooking?" he asked in amazement. "Wow. I'd love to learn how to cook," he said. "I suck at it. Seriously. I can't even make toast or fry an egg without burning it."

She laughed. "Well, you can't be good at everything." She kissed him again and then pulled away with a sigh. "All right, you should go. I'll try not to break anything out of sheer frustration while you're gone."

"That's my girl." He grinned at her, but she could see the pride in his eyes. "You're holding up very well, you know. Anyone else would have cracked by now, but you're handling everything as if these things happen to you every day. I'm impressed."

She made a face at him. "Yes, well, you don't become the Emerald City's deputy mayor by letting every setback get you down."

"Good point." He grew serious. "I mean it, though, Fae. I admire you," he confessed. "Not just for everything you've achieved, but also for the things you've been through and the way you've handled them. I know I told you that you were cold and prickly at first, but I didn't realise how much you have to do on a daily basis or how hard you always work. That takes a lot of motivation, determination, and discipline – three things I've never really had, which is why it impresses me all the more that you have them in spades. You've got _balls_ ," he stressed, which made her chortle. "You can be intimidating and quite scary, true, but there are so many more sides to you that I didn't see at first."

She smiled ruefully. "There were a lot of qualities I didn't see in you at first, either, you know. Besides, you're not the only one. I've hardly ever met anyone who looked past my skin and my 'scary' attitude right at first. I've always been like that, even before I became the deputy mayor. It was a defence mechanism, I guess."

He kissed the top of her head. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder what in Oz you're doing with me. A woman like you shouldn't be with a silly playboy who's never achieved anything in his life."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're an idiot. Now go," she urged him. "The sooner you figure this out, the better."

"True." He pulled away from her with obvious reluctance and childishly blew her a kiss at the door. "I hope to be back sooner this time – maybe even in time for dinner. Maybe we could spend some time together tonight?"

She smiled. "That'd be nice."

He left and she went to the library and spent the next few hours reading, trying her hardest to keep her mind off things. When she went to have lunch with Oscar and the twins, the latter two were complaining.

"Auntie Galinda and Uncle Cohvu said yesterday that they wouldn't be coming over today because they wanted to spend some time together," Xalo said grumpily, his arms crossed to show his discontent. "And we just asked Grandpa if he could tell us another story, but he says he's busy."

"Oh no," said Elphaba, looking at her father. "None of that. If I'm forced to take a day off, Dad, then so are you. Work can wait until tomorrow. Have you finished eating?" she asked the twins, who nodded, and Elphaba pushed back her chair. "Come on, then, let's go to the garden. We're going to play some games. You, too," she instructed her father, who sighed, but complied; and when Fiyero returned to the Palace a few hours later, it was to find the mayor in the garden, glancing around suspiciously.

Fiyero cleared his throat. "Oscar?"

"Shh," the older man shushed him. "I'm trying to listen. Look out, children," he called. "The Big, Bad Bully is coming for you!"

There was a giggle and Oscar whirled around and ran, with surprising agility for a man his age, over to a cluster of bushes and plucked Xalo out from behind them. "Got'cha!"

"Grandpa!" Xalo whined. "That's not fair! You made me laugh!"

Oscar laughed and tickled his grandson. "Come on, help me find your mother and sister."

Fiyero's eyebrows had risen a bit and Oscar told him in passing, "Hide and seek. Do you want to help me look?"

"Elphaba is playing hide and seek?" the bodyguard asked incredulously. Despite his suggestion to her about playing in the garden with her kids, he hadn't really expected her to actually do it.

"She's good at it, too," Xalo said, huffing. "She and Fawn both. It's not really fair, anyway. They're _green_. They blend in with the bushes much better than I do."

Fiyero grinned.

"And they don't giggle," Oscar added, which made his grandson sigh.

"That, too," he conceded sulkily.

Fiyero laughed. "What else have you done today?"

Xalo brightened. "Well, this morning Fawn and I played videogames and we read for a bit," he said, "but at lunch, Mum said we'd all go outside together, so then we first played tag for a while, and then we did hide and seek inside the Palace, only that was a bit too big for one person to search, so we moved outside after a while to continue there. We all thought at first that Mum was really good at finding people," he recalled, scowling, "but then we found out that she cheated. She used that spell she also used to find me on our party – a locating spell – so she knew where we were hiding."

Fiyero had to suppress more laughter. Xalo looked genuinely indignant about the whole thing, but the mental image of Elphaba, smirking as she located everyone with her magic and then pretended to be a star at the game, was fairly hilarious. He could see her do it, too.

"Come on," Xalo said. "Let's go help Grandpa find them."

The three of them spread out across the garden to find the girls. Having been trained as a hunter during his childhood in the Vinkus – an old tradition that had seemed pointless at the time, but came very much in handy once he became a bodyguard – Fiyero managed to track Fawn down easily. Instead of calling out to Oscar, however, he ducked into her hiding place with her.

She scrutinised him with large, dark green eyes. "You're not going to betray me?"

He shrugged. "Hiding along with you is much more fun." He nudged her playfully. "You found yourself a good spot."

"I know," she said, beaming at him, but then she sobered. "Do you know who is after Mum yet?"

Fiyero shook his head. "Sorry, kiddo," he said. "I'm trying, I swear, but I don't know. Whoever it is, he's very good at hiding and not leaving any tracks."

Fawn sighed and Fiyero reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Hey, no worries, okay? We'll find him."

She nodded. "Okay. And if you do, are you and Mum going to be married?"

He stared at her.

"You and Mum said that you'd go dating first," she reminded him. "Now you've been dating for a while, right? So are you going to get married?"

"Um…" Fiyero floundered. "Well… not yet. I mean, not for a while. I mean… we haven't really talked about it. We haven't been dating for long, you know," he tried to explain. "People usually date for at least a year or so before getting married."

"Oh." Fawn looked disappointed, but then she brightened again. "But you'll stay here with us until you do? Get married, I mean?"

Fiyero chuckled a little awkwardly. "Sure. If your mum will have me."

Fawn nodded confidently. "She will. She likes you a lot, I can tell."

Their little heart-to-heart was interrupted by Oscar going, "Found you!" and picking Fawn up from her hiding place, spinning her around before putting her down on her feet. "Ha. Two down, one to go. Now where is your mother?"

The twins and their grandfather continued their search, leaving Fiyero to ponder Fawn's words. Did Elphaba really like him? She'd laughed at him that morning, but he'd been serious when he'd asked her what she saw in him. He truly didn't understand. He'd gotten to know her as a strong-willed and independent young woman, powerful not just with regard to her magic, but also in personality. She was smart and assertive, but also had a softer side. She was a wonderful mother, a good friend, and a pretty impressive witch. She'd achieved so much in her life and he… well, hadn't.

He was willing to admit now that perhaps part of his initial dislike for her had been the fact that he was jealous. He'd had so many opportunities to do something with his life, but he'd thrown them all away; while she had hardly had any opportunities at all – she'd made her own. All right, she hadn't exactly treated him very graciously in the beginning and he hadn't made a great first impression, either, but even back then he'd admired her, in a way. He just wondered if this could last. How long would it take for her to realise that he was only dragging her down? The magical, single-mum deputy mayor and the bodyguard who never even graduated university. It seemed like a joke.

"What're you dreaming about?" someone suddenly asked from behind him, making him jump. He turned to find Elphaba smirking at him from behind a tree. "I'm sorry. Did I scare you? I seem to have that effect on people."

He rolled his eyes at her. "You startled me, that's all." He quirked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you find a better hiding place than that?"

"Now that you mention it, yes." She appeared from behind the tree trunk, took his hand, and tugged him over to the tree. She quickly clambered up the branches and motioned for him to follow her, which he did. Together, they perched on a thick branch near the trunk, high enough so that they wouldn't instantly be seen from the ground.

"Am I glad I decided to wear jeans today, rather than a skirt," Elphaba said with a little snigger. She glanced over at Fiyero. "If I get caught, it'll be your fault for not blending in with the leaves well enough."

He laughed. "We can't all be green, Fae. Sorry."

She stuck out her tongue at him.

He looked at her a little curiously. "You haven't asked me about today yet."

"No," she said. "I don't want to think about that right now. We can talk later." At the slightly amazed look he gave her, she shrugged. "You told me to spend the day having fun," she reminded him. "I am. Don't spoil my fun by talking about my stalker. We have plenty of time to worry about that later."

He had to smile at her logic. "Okay."

"Now shh." She pressed her finger to his lips. "Or they'll hear us."

Grinning impishly, he scooted a little closer to her. "I suppose you'll have to find a way to shut me up, then, don't you?"

"Mmh." She kissed him. "How's that?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm still talking, aren't I?"

She kissed him again, more thoroughly this time, and Fiyero buried his fingers in her hair. Unfortunately, their moment was broken all too soon by two little voices singing, "Mama and Fiyero, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Elphaba broke away, grimacing, and Fiyero buried his face in his hands. "Guys, please!"

"How did you even find us?" Elphaba demanded, her cheeks flushed.

Xalo smirked up at her. "Grandpa spotted Fiyero's sweater."

"It's _red_ ," Fawn stressed. "It's kind of hard to miss between all those leaves."

Oscar laughed and ruffled both their hair. "Caught, Elphaba," he said to his daughter, his eyes twinkling. "And kissing in a tree, no less. I've always regretted missing your childhood, but things like this make me feel like I'm the father of a teenage girl after all."

Elphaba groaned. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Never," Oscar assured her cheerfully.

Elphaba grumbled and gave Fiyero a glare. "I told you you didn't blend in well enough."

He just gave her his best innocent, puppy-eyed expression in reply and then kissed her again. She didn't have many more complaints after that.


	27. Dinner

**Some revelations in this chapter (although I'm sure you guys aren't going to go along with them just like that, but instead say it's too obvious and go with a different suspect after all, hehe... You'll find out the truth soon enough!).**

 **Kudos to AJeff for being the 300th reviewer! :)**

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 **27\. Dinner**

"What are we having for dinner today, Mum?" Xalo asked as they were all going back inside a little while later.

Elphaba, however, smiled mysteriously. "The three of you are having pasta," she said, at which the twins both cheered.

Then Fawn frowned. "The three of us?"

Elphaba smiled at her daughter and Fawn held her breath. "Oh! You and Fiyero have a date?"

"We do?" Fiyero asked in confusion.

Elphaba gave him a mischievous little grin. "We do." She kissed the top of Fawn's head and ran a hand over Xalo's. "Off you go. Have fun with Grandpa and I'll see you in a bit, okay? Fiyero and I won't be leaving the Palace, so if you need anything, you can just come and find us."

"We'll be fine with Grandpa, Mum," said Xalo, as if that much should be obvious. "We're not kids anymore."

"Yeah, Fae," Fiyero said, winking at the twins. "They're nine, not stupid."

They both grinned at him in reply.

Fiyero had expected for Elphaba to take him back outside for a walk, or to the smaller, more intimate dining room just down the hall, or perhaps to her own rooms; but his confusion grew when he realised she was leading him to the kitchen. She greeted Harron and then gently pushed Fiyero over to stand at one of the counters while she went to get some supplies from the walk-in fridge.

"Fae," he said when she returned with a small pile of food. "What are we doing here?"

She stopped and turned to look at him. "This morning, you said that you'd love to learn how to cook," she said. "I hope you were serious about that."

He stared at her, then at the things on the counter, and then at her again. "You… You're going to teach me how to cook?"

"I thought it'd make a nice surprise," she said. "If you don't want to, though, we can just do something else…"

He cut her off by picking her up and hugging her tightly for a moment before putting her back on her feet again. She let out a small squeak, but she was laughing. "I'll take that as a yes."

He beamed at her. "I'm sorry. It's just… no-one has ever really done that for me before," he admitted. "Paying attention to me like that, and then remembering what I said and acting on it… It means a lot to me. Thank you."

Her eyes softened and she put her hand over his. "I know what you mean," she said quietly and he knew she really did. She'd probably never had anyone do such a thing for her, either – not before Oscar and Galinda came along, anyway.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Okay, so you're going to have to guide me in this, because as I told you, I really suck at cooking," he said, making her chuckle.

"Relax," she said lightly, letting go of his hand and pushing a cutting board and a knife in his direction, followed by a pile of peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. "You can start by chopping vegetables."

"I can do that much, at least," he joked, gathering the vegetables and rinsing them in the sink before picking up the knife to start chopping. "What are we making?"

She smiled. "Just a simple recipe. Stir-fried vegetables with chicken and oven-baked potatoes. I thought we should start easy." She nudged him with her hip. "Maybe next time we could try lasagne."

"Um…" He made a face. "Perhaps that's not such a good idea."

Her eyebrows rose and he confessed, "I tried to make lasagne once when I was still at university – one of the universities I've been through, anyway – and my roommate and I both got food poisoning. _Ow_ ," he added when he cut himself with the knife.

He could tell that Elphaba was suppressing a grin when she helped him rinse the cut. "Don't worry, Yero, you'll be fine. I'll help you. Let's start with this – you're doing great, you know."

"I'm chopping vegetables," he stressed and she shrugged.

"So? You're chopping them very well. Just make sure to keep an eye on what is a vegetable and what is your own finger and you'll be fine."

He stuck out his tongue at her and she laughed before taking his finger between her hands, chanting softly under her breath. When the faint glow around her fingers died away and she removed her hands, his cut was gone and she returned to seasoning the potatoes as of nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She either didn't notice or ignored the way Fiyero studied his hand in wonder. Her magic never failed to amaze him.

"Okay," she said. "I know what I said earlier, but I'm too curious. What did you find out today?"

Fiyero sighed, returning to the counter to continue chopping. "Not much," he said glumly. "Not much at all. Duran continues to deny that he has anything to do with it and we'll have to let him go tomorrow morning, anyway, because without further proof that he did something wrong, we can't keep him."

Elphaba shook her head. "It seems to me like he really doesn't have anything to do with my stalker, Yero," she said.

"I have the same feeling," he admitted, "but if it's not him, then who is it? Gazilon? Cohvu? Avaric? Just some stranger? It could be anyone, really. Well, anyone in the military, I suppose."

Elphaba didn't say anything and when he looked at her, he saw she had gone deathly pale.

"Fae?" Fiyero asked, his blue eyes clouding with concern as he lowered the knife and moved closer to her. "What's wrong?"

She put down the spices she'd been holding, feeling sick. She suddenly recalled what she'd told Fiyero about Avaric on their friendship date and it felt like someone punched her in her stomach. "Oh my Oz…"

" _He said he was in the military, just like Duran. He said he did secret missions no-one else could know about."_

The military. Avaric was in the military – that would explain the cufflink with the military insigne. She'd thought he'd been boasting or at the very least exaggerating the whole secret mission thing when they'd first met, that he'd been trying to impress her… but what if he hadn't been? What if he was, in fact, some sort of special agent in the army? For someone like that, sneaking into the Palace was a piece of cake, as was tracking Elphaba's whereabouts. He could have placed a tracker on her car or somehow listened in on her phone conversations – there were a lot of different ways in which he could have found out where she was going, when, and with whom…

"Elphaba." She only noticed that Fiyero had grabbed her shoulders when he gave her a little shake in an attempt to bring her attention back to him. "Hey. What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you ill?"

"Avaric," she said, her voice coming out strange. She swallowed and told him her theory. "He told me himself that he was in the military, so it would explain the cufflink. And…"

"And a secret mission soldier, or even ex-soldier, would easily have been able to do all the things your stalker has done," Fiyero filled in, clearly following the same train of thought. "Oz." He looked baffled as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Avaric… Do you know where he lives?"

Elphaba shook her head and tried to stop the shaking of her hands. "No. I don't know anything about him," she said. "I only have his email address and his phone number."

Fiyero looked grim. "We'll figure it out. Give me a second." He pulled his phone from the pocket of his jeans and dialled a number, turning away from her and pacing up and down the kitchen as he called. "Benn? You can let Duran go with an apology. It's probably not him after all, but we've got a new suspect. Could you track down the address of Avaric…" He faltered and glanced over at Elphaba.

"Tenmeadows," she answered his unspoken question and he nodded.

"Avaric Tenmeadows," he said into the phone. "He might be our guy. See what you can dig up about him." He hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket. "I should probably head back to the station myself, to supervise –"

"Oh, no, you don't," said Elphaba sternly, moving past him carrying an oven dish filled with seasoned potatoes. She placed the dish in the large oven, pressed a few buttons, and then turned back around to face him. "You've done enough today, Fiyero. I'm serious. We have a suspicion that you asked your men to look into, Duran is going free for now, and there's nothing more you'll be able to do until they've got some more on Avaric, anyway." She pointed at the counter. "So you'd better just pick up that knife and carry on chopping. You still have some chicken to carve, too, and the potatoes will be ready in half an hour, so you should hurry."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, grinning a little as he did as he was told. He liked her playful mood. It was much preferable over the fearful, gloomy anxiety that had been hanging over them all for the past couple of weeks, ever since the attack in Munchkinland. He supposed her spending some time reading and doing fun things with her family had relaxed her somewhat.

Together, they fabricated a wonderful dinner, which they ate in the smaller dining room so they would have some privacy. Fiyero was a little hesitant to try the food at first, especially since Elphaba had put him in charge of stir-frying the chicken and the vegetables; but when he tasted it, he had to conclude, much to his surprise, that it was actually really good.

"See?" Elphaba said when he admitted this to her. "You're not nearly as bad at cooking as you think you are. Have a little faith in yourself."

He took another bite and nodded. "I like it," he said once he'd swallowed it. The vegetables were exactly right, the chicken was well-done and tasted delicious thanks to the marinade Elphaba had soaked it in earlier that day; and the potatoes, cooked with skins in the oven, were perfect. Fiyero wondered where Elphaba got her recipes and how she managed to use exactly the right combination of spices for each dish. When he asked her, however, she simply shrugged.

"I've never used any recipes, except when I was a child," she said. "I told you – I've cooked for Nessa and the Big, Bad Bully many times and I liked trying out different things. I guess I just have a sixth sense for spices, or something."

"You have a sixth sense for everything," he muttered and she snorted.

"Not quite." She ate another potato, swallowed it, and added, "Besides, now you're learning how to cook, too, so that'll be one more skill to add to your own resume. How did you do that before you came here? I mean, I'm assuming you lived on your own most of the time since you left your home."

"I did," he confirmed. "Sometimes I temporarily moved in with a client, like I did with you, but usually I stayed in an apartment somewhere, since I travelled a lot – and yes, I was on my own. The answer is simple. Convenience food and takeaway."

She made a face. "I suppose I should have expected that."

"And I'll admit, in the beginning, when I still had my playboy ways, I often managed to charm the girl of the day into making us both dinner."

"That does sound like you, yes," she agreed, at which he scowled. "What? It's the truth, isn't it?"

He had to concede that she had a point and she smirked at him before returning to her food.

By the time they finished their dinner, it was the twins' bedtime and Elphaba and Fiyero both went to tuck them in. The kids both slept together in Xalo's room that night and Xalo asked, "Fiyero? Will you tell us a story?"

Fiyero laughed. "All right." He thought for a moment and then told them a slightly modified story about one of his former clients – a woman who had hired him because she believed there was a ghost living in her attic who came down each night to plunder her kitchen and, she was convinced, to kill her one day when he'd start hungering for a different kind of food. Of course no such ghost existed; it just turned out her husband often got hungry in the middle of the night and had been too embarrassed and too afraid of her wrath to admit to his wife that he ate all the food.

Both kids nearly rolled off the bed with laughter at the story and when Fiyero finished, they asked for another one.

"Tomorrow," said Elphaba. "It's bedtime for you two monkeys." She bent down to kiss Xalo and Fawn good night. "Sweet dreams, my darlings. Don't dream about ghosts now."

"Or scary men trying to kill us?" Xalo asked.

"Or scary men trying to kill us," Elphaba agreed, attempting to keep her voice light. "You're safe here. Nothing is going to happen to any of us."

Fawn nodded. "I know," she said, snuggling into the blankets. "Because Fiyero is here, and he's the best bodyguard in all of Oz, so he won't let anything happen. And you, me, and Xalo have our magic, too, and the scary man doesn't have that."

"Yeah!" Xalo said enthusiastically. "We can totally take him!"

"We totally can," Fiyero said with a wink. "Good night, you two."

"Good night," they chorused and Elphaba quietly closed the door behind herself and Fiyero.

She looked drawn and he said quietly, "It's hard on you, isn't it? Knowing they're afraid now."

"I wanted nothing more than to protect them from this," she said with a sigh as they moved down the hallway. "I never wanted them to find out about the threat, but of course, after what happened in Munchkinland… It makes sense that they're scared and they seem to be coping rather well, I know. Kids are resilient. They'll be fine. I just… wish I could better protect them. Not just from physical harm, but from this kind of fear, too. Nine-year-old children shouldn't have to worry about men attempting to kill them or their mother."

"I know." Fiyero drew her into his arms and nuzzled her hair. "But as you said, they're doing really well and they're resilient. Once this is all over, it will be nothing more than a big adventure to them."

"I hope you're right," said Elphaba and Fiyero squeezed her gently for a moment before letting go.

"Come on," he said. "No more worrying now. We still have quite a few hours ahead of us and I intend to use them in a wholly different way. Something more… fun."

"Oh?" she asked innocently. "What did you have in mind?"

He pressed her against the wall and captured her lips with his in a kiss that took her breath away and made her knees feel weak. When he pulled away and saw the look on her face, he grinned. "Something like that, perhaps?"

"Your bed or mine?" she mumbled dazedly, echoing his own words from two days before; and Fiyero laughed out loud before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her over to his rooms for something that had nothing whatsoever to do with worrying.


	28. Surprise

**I just realised... this is another fairly innocent and fluffy chapter. *horrified look* Sweet Oz, I'm losing my touch... Okay, there'll be a cliffy next chapter, at least. And after that, the big drama will kick in, so bear with me on the fluffiness for one more chapter - I needed to put some things in place that will be important for later chapters.**

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 **28\. Surprise**

Elphaba and Fiyero both awoke because Fiyero's phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the peaceful silence that had encompassed his bedroom before. With a groan, he reached over and took the call, bringing the phone up to his ear. "Tiggular."

He listened to something being said on the other side and then nodded, even though whoever the other person was couldn't see him. "Okay. Thanks." He hung up and put the phone away, heaving a sigh. "They've got Avaric's address."

Elphaba grumbled a little under her breath. "Did they have to call you this early in the morning to tell you that?"

"It's not that early," Fiyero said, chuckling a little. "It's half past eight. I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you, Fae. Did you ever sleep in before you started sleeping with me?"

She mumbled something unintelligible, already half asleep again, and Fiyero pulled her closer and kissed her softly. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, hon, but you can't go back to sleep. You have an appointment at ten with the director of an Animal rehabilitation centre, if I'm not mistaken."

Elphaba pulled the blankets over her head. "Screw that director," she said, her voice muffled by the blankets.

"I'd really rather you didn't," Fiyero joked. Elphaba's arm appeared from beneath the blankets to blindly smack him and he pulled the blankets away, laughing a little at her sleep-tousled hair and cranky face. He nuzzled his nose against hers. "Rise and shine, Madame Deputy Mayor. I'll go down to the station to see if we can bring Avaric in for questioning and you should probably get to work."

She glared at him, but when he didn't budge, she sighed and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She quickly read Nessa's morning text, replied, and then forced herself out of bed to get ready for the day. Fiyero, despite the fact that he'd been the one to push her out of bed, took even longer to get out of bed than she had; so she pelted him with pillows until he fell out of bed with a loud grunt whilst attempting to dodge one of them. Elphaba laughed at him and he grumbled as he rose to his feet and trudged over to the bathroom.

It took a while, but after half an hour or so, they made it to the dining room for breakfast. The twins weren't there, but Oscar was and he raised an eyebrow at the two of them when they entered.

"Good morning," he said. "Sleep well?"

"Not long enough," Elphaba muttered as she sat down.

Fiyero smirked and Oscar asked suspiciously, "What are you looking so smug about?"

"He's the reason I didn't sleep long enough," Elphaba said drily and Oscar flushed a little, cleared his throat, and then looked away.

"So, what are you two doing today?" he asked, obviously desperate to change the subject. Fiyero's smirk widened and Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she did reply.

"I have an appointment with the director of one of the Animal rehabilitation centres in about an hour and a meeting with some of my employees this afternoon," she said. "Fiyero's going after Avaric."

Oscar nodded, having heard that story from them the night before already. "Good. I'll be working in my office all day today, in case you need me for anything." He rose to his feet to leave the room, pressing a kiss to Elphaba's hair as he passed her. "Be careful."

"Always," she said, ignoring the sceptical look her father gave her before he exited.

She kept busy for the rest of the day. Cohvu was teaching the children and Galinda was at work, but the latter often popped into Elphaba's office to chat for a bit. After a while, Elphaba began to notice that her blonde friend seemed to be acting a little strangely and she called her out on it.

"All right, Glin, spill," she said. "What's going on?"

Galinda laughed nervously. "What? What makes you think anything is going on?"

The dark-haired witch simply continued to look at her until she caved. "I never could hide anything from you, could I, Elphie?" Galinda sighed and sank down onto the couch. Elphaba pushed herself away from her laptop so she could properly look at the other girl, waiting for her to explain.

Galinda took a deep breath. "Elphie, I'm pregnant. And I don't want you to worry about me," she added quickly. "That's why I didn't really want to tell you. I should have known you'd figure out on your own that something was up, I guess. You know me too well. Once I found out, I really wanted to tell you, but all I could think was that you have enough on your mind already with that stalker after you and you'd only worry about me. I don't want you to. I'm perfect. Really. I hardly even had morning sickness, or any other symptoms for that matter, and Cohvu's been great… since yesterday, anyway, when we found out."

Elphaba, meanwhile, was staring at her friend. After a while, she said in a choked voice, "Sweet Oz, Galinda," and she got up and wrapped her arms around her old friend in a tight hug. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both." She pulled away slightly to look Galinda sternly in the eye. "Glin," she said seriously, "I don't _ever_ want you to feel like you can't tell me something because I already have enough on my mind. Especially something this big. Okay? You're my best friend and I know you want to protect me…"

"…just like you always try to do for me," Galinda interjected and Elphaba smiled faintly.

"Yeah. But that's what friends are for, right? To share things with?"

Galinda nodded and hugged her friend again. "Oh, Elphie, I'm so happy!" she said and suddenly she was weeping a little. "I've been feeling a little weird lately, you know? Just… not like myself, I guess. I've been more emotional than usual…"

"Like when you started crying at Fiyero's reaction after you dressed me up for our date," Elphaba realised and the petite PA nodded again.

"And I've been more tired the past few weeks," she said. "Like when Cohvu and I went home so early on our group date with Duran and Gazilon. Nothing big, just little things that felt a little… off. I've been blaming it on the stress of what was going on, but a while ago, I realised that I hadn't gotten my period in a long time – I've been so busy with all kinds of things that I completely lost track of it. Of course, I had my suspicions then and I intended to buy a test to make sure, but I kept forgetting. When we were in town with the twins last Saturday, I remembered to get one and I did it yesterday when I stayed home with Cohvu. It was positive, Elphie." She wiped away her tears, but she was glowing. "I still need to see a doctor, of course, and I've planned an appointment for later this week, but… I'm pregnant. I'm about three months along already, too, according to that test I took. I just… didn't notice anything off."

Elphaba was beaming almost as much as Galinda was, but she didn't even care. "I'm going to be Auntie Elphaba!"

"Auntie Elphie," Galinda corrected her and Elphaba laughed.

"We'll have time to argue about that." On an impulse, she hugged her best friend again. "I can't believe it, Glin. You and Cohvu are going to be parents!"

"He says he's been wanting to propose for at least a few months already," the blonde continued. "He wasn't sure about how to do it, though, and he wanted to wait until you were safe again to do it."

Elphaba pulled away abruptly. "No," she said fiercely. "Galinda, it's bad enough that I have to put my own life on hold for this guy and that the twins can't go outside without security anymore. I will _not_ have it affect your lives, too. If anything, we could use some happiness right about now."

"You're right about that," Galinda admitted. "I'll talk to him. Oh, Elphie, I'm going to be a mum!" she exclaimed, making her friend laugh.

She caught Cohvu at the end of the day, when he was just preparing to go home after the twins' lessons, and she surprised him by wrapping her arms around him as well. "Congratulations," she said, smiling widely. "Also, I think you should propose as soon as possible."

He blinked at her. "That was quick."

She flashed him a grin. "I've known Galinda for a long time already, Cohvu. She can never hide something from me for very long." Her grin faded. "She told me why you haven't proposed before," she said. "Don't wait because of that. Please. She's been dying to marry you ever since she first laid eyes on you, basically, and we'd all love to see it happen. Just plan the perfect proposal and execute it as soon as possible."

"I will," he promised her. "Do you think she'd like this?" He told her what he had planned and Elphaba smirked.

"She'll love that," she assured him. "Don't worry."

"Good." He looked relieved. "Thanks, El."

She gave him another smirk as she turned to walk away. "You can thank me by naming me the baby's godmother," she said to him over her shoulder before leaving the room.

"That goes without saying, you know," he called after her. "Just like your status as maid of honour at our wedding!"

"Looking forward to it!" she called back. Despite the pink dress she'd undoubtedly be forced to wear, she meant it, too.

* * *

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. Fiyero returned to the Palace on Monday night looking tired and frustrated. He told Elphaba he'd sent out men to try and apprehend Avaric right that morning, but he wasn't at the address his men had tracked down. According to the neighbours, they hadn't seen Avaric around for months already, implying that he had to be living somewhere else by now. No-one knew where, though. He didn't respond to any emails and he didn't pick up his phone, no matter how many times they called. It didn't exactly help Elphaba's nerves, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Fiyero, too, was frustrated about it, but she could tell he was trying to stay optimistic for her sake.

The only thing his men _had_ found out was that Avaric had been discharged from the military about six years ago for several types of misconduct, including sending threatening, sexually tinted letters to female colleagues. That pretty much proved their suspicions about him, but it didn't help them find out where he was.

On Wednesday, Galinda went to see her doctor and when she returned to the Palace for work, she was almost floating. She headed straight for Elphaba's office. "I'm thirteen weeks along!" she gushed. "That means the baby will be born in November. _November_ , Elphie! About six months from now I'll be a mother!"

Elphaba congratulated her again and asked her what else the doctor had said, which hadn't been much; the baby was healthy and growing well and that was the most important thing. The doctor had also reassured Galinda that it wasn't strange at all that she hadn't noticed anything before, especially if she had been under a lot of stress lately. The blonde was glad about that, since she'd been feeling a little guilty for not realising before what was going on, but the doctor just advised her to enjoy not having any pregnancy symptoms while it lasted. Galinda would have to return for an ultrasound at twenty weeks and then they'd probably be able to see the gender, which she was quite excited about.

She floated on not long thereafter to find Cohvu, who, of course, was also thrillified. Fawn and Xalo were fascinated by the whole concept of a baby growing in Auntie Galinda's belly; they asked a thousand questions and were almost as excited about the prospect of a baby as Galinda and Cohvu themselves.

"He or she will be like our cousin, right?" Fawn asked. "I mean, not really, just like you're not really our aunt, but sort of, right?"

"Of course," said Galinda, smiling widely. "The two of you can teach him or her all kinds of things!"

"If it's a boy, you should name him Xalo," Xalo suggested.

Cohvu laughed. "That would be a little confusing," he said. "If we called 'Xalo' then, you'd both come running. Maybe we should try to think of something else."

Xalo had to admit that that was true. "Can we help pick out names, though?"

Galinda directed her smile at him. She didn't really seem to be able to stop smiling, but Elphaba was just glad to see her friend so happy. "If you come up with names you like, Cohvu and I will consider them," she promised and Fawn and Xalo instantly started thinking of different names to call the baby.

Again, Fiyero was mostly absent that week, trying his hardest to find Avaric, but to no avail. He spent hours in his office calling all his contacts, asking them for clues as to Avaric's whereabouts. Whenever he did find a lead, he'd jump into his car and drive all around Oz to follow up on it, but no tip ever got him anywhere. At the end of the week, he was exhausted and cranky and he was slowly starting to get desperate. It was like Avaric had vanished into thin air.

When he returned after going after yet another dead end late Friday night, he went straight for his rooms only to find Elphaba there waiting for him. She was curled up in one of the armchairs in his foyer, a book in her lap and her glasses perched on her nose.

She looked up from her book when he entered. "Hey," she said with a sympathetic smile.

"You didn't have to wait up for me," he protested.

She shrugged. "I wanted to. I've barely seen you all week." She put her book and glasses away and walked up to him, kissing him softly. "Still nothing, I take it?"

He shook his head unhappily. "Nothing at all. I've never had a job this hard before," he admitted. "I've done a few stalker cases, but usually the victim already knows who the stalker is or at the very least has an idea of who it could be. Sometimes the jobs I work on take a long time, but this…" Was he losing his touch? Or was he just too distracted by his feelings for Elphaba and his fondness of her family to think clearly and to properly do his job?

Elphaba laid a hand on his arm. "Hey. Don't beat yourself up over it," she scolded him mildly. "You're doing the best you can. You have been from the beginning. It's not your fault my ex is a slippery cockroach."

He snorted a laugh at her phrasing and took her in his arms. "I guess."

She kissed him again, pulling him with her. "Come on. You look like you could use a good night's sleep," she said, ushering him into his bedroom. She was already in her pyjamas, so she waited in the bed as he changed and then crawled in beside her.

"It's really not your fault, you know," she said once he was settled, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. "That it's taking so long, I mean."

"Isn't it, though?" he asked miserably.

She frowned, propping herself up on one arm so she could look at him. "Yero, if you start blaming yourself for not having found him yet because you're a bodyguard, then what am _I_ supposed to think of myself? I'm the deputy mayor and a witch at that. I should know better than anyone who my enemies are and I should have been able to discover it was Avaric, or at the very least his whereabouts now. I wasn't, and I'm still not. Does that make _me_ stupid or incapable?"

"Of course not," Fiyero protested and she raised an eyebrow.

"So why would it say something about _you_?"

He faltered. She smiled smugly at him, knowing she'd won; and he heaved a sigh.

"Fine," he said. "I see your point. That doesn't mean I'm not frustrated, though."

"I never said you couldn't be frustrated," she reminded him. "Quite frankly, I'm frustrated, too."

He pulled her to him again and kissed her gently. "I know." He wanted to tell her they'd figure it out in the end, but he'd told her that so many times already lately that the words had lost their meaning. The only thing that would really dissolve their frustration was to find Avaric, confirm he was the one they were looking for, and lock him away.

An idea suddenly struck him and he looked at her. "You wouldn't be able to use that locating spell to track down Avaric, would you?" he asked hopefully, but she was already shaking her head before he'd even finished speaking.

"Even though I know who it is we're looking for right now, it'd still take a lot of power and concentration for me to focus on him, since I don't know him that well," she explained. "Besides, I can only search relatively small areas. I don't have nearly enough magic in me to search all of Oz."

Fiyero sighed and rested his forehead against her temple. "It was worth a try."

Elphaba toyed with the strings on Fiyero's pyjama trousers. "I've been wanting to ask you something else, actually."

"Hmm." His lips migrated to her jaw, his fingers slipping beneath the hem of her T-shirt to caress the bare skin of her stomach. "What? If I'd be willing to share my bed with you more often? Why, yes, I do believe I am. In fact, if this is the welcome I get, I think I'll make sure to return to the Palace earlier each night from now on."

She rolled her eyes. "You are such a man," she said, but her words lacked bite – if anything, she sounded a little breathless. She didn't push him away, either, which told him all he needed to know.

He grinned widely at her, but she didn't see that, because she'd closed her eyes. When she didn't say anything else, he asked, "So what did you want to ask me?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "Oh, that." Ignoring the smug look on his face, she grew serious and said, "The gala next Thursday. You know, the Quadling City mayor's tenth anniversary in office? We've all been invited – Oscar, Xalo, Fawn, and I. He's an old friend of my father's and though the gala is quite official, there is no press allowed, so I'd like to bring the twins along. They love fancy parties and some other officials are bringing their children, too, so they'll have playmates. I was wondering, though…"

"…if it's safe?" Fiyero finished for her, continuing to stroke her skin. "Well… relatively. I mean, we're fairly certain we know who it is now, so we should be safe if we just install enough guards at the entrances and instruct them to look out for Avaric and to arrest him if he shows up."

Elphaba nodded. "So if we do that and thus make sure he can't come in, we're fine?"

"Yes," Fiyero said. "Essentially. You know, if the guy is actually really Avaric, which we don't know for certain…"

"Oh, come on, Yero, who else could it be?" Elphaba demanded and he had to admit she had a point there.

"Speaking of which," he said, tracing circles on her stomach now. It made her shiver. "Have you talked to Duran since… well, since we let him go?"

She sighed. "No. I tried to call him a couple of times, but he won't pick up," she said sadly. "I guess he blames me for what happened, which I can understand, but I wish he'd let me explain. He answered when Galinda called him, but all he said to her was that he was fine, just a little pissed and shaken, and that he needed some time."

"I'm sorry," Fiyero murmured. "That's probably my fault."

"We agreed it was likely that Duran was the one we were looking for," Elphaba disagreed. "It's not your fault any more than it is mine. Of course I wish I'd thought of Avaric sooner so Duran didn't have to go through this, but there's no changing that now. He'll come around eventually."

They lay in silence for a while, both of them lost in thought, before Elphaba shook off her thoughts and nuzzled Fiyero's cheek. "You should sleep. It's late and you've been gone all day again."

"Yeah," he mumbled, already drowsy, and she smiled and kissed him softly.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered, curling up against him. She felt him smile as he drew her closer, burying his face in her hair as they both drifted off.


	29. Proposal

**Okay, yes, this chapter is mostly even more fluff... sigh... but there's a cliffy, and some more things building that will be important in later chapters. Later chapters, which won't be nearly as fluffy as these. *cough*chapter31*cough***

 **Also, I think I've _almost_ finished writing this fic and it's probably going to have 42 chapters. Maybe one or two more. And I'm kind of planning a sequel. *winces***

* * *

 **29\. Proposal**

Elphaba awoke with a cry in the middle of the night, startling Fiyero awake as well. He shot up and rubbed his eyes, disoriented for a moment. "Fae?"

She was trembling. "I'm fine," she whispered, taking a few deep breaths and then exhaling slowly through her nose again in an attempt to calm her racing heartbeat. "Just a nightmare."

He touched her arm and when he felt how badly she was shaking, he took her into his arms and held her for a while, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. "It's okay," he murmured into her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It was just a dream. You're safe."

She pressed her face against his shoulder and they stayed like that until she had stopped trembling and calmed down a little. They both lay back down, but Fiyero didn't let go of her, instead guiding her head to rest on his chest and her arm around him so he could hold her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he whispered.

"It was… it was about Duran," she said, her voice still shaking. "And Avaric…"

Fiyero's grip on her tightened. "What did he do?"

"There was fire," she murmured, wincing a little. "Avaric trapped me inside a small room and set fire to the building. I could hear Fawn and Xalo screaming, and… and you were there, and Avaric had a gun… He shot Duran and then he tried to shoot you. It was hazy, but… it felt so real." She swallowed, a shudder running down her spine, and Fiyero pressed a kiss to her hair.

"It's all right, Fae," he said consolingly. "Nothing is going to happen to you or the twins. He's not going to do anything else because we won't let him. Okay? We know who he is now, we know whom we have to look out for, so we can make sure he's not getting anywhere near you."

She smiled a little, drowsy again. "Yero my hero," she sighed, holding on to him tightly. He chuckled slightly, trying not to let her show that her words actually touched him, and he continued to stroke her hair and back to lull her back to sleep.

He hadn't even fallen asleep himself yet when the door to his rooms creaked and he froze, alarmed; but then he heard a small voice ask, "Fiyero?"

"I'm here," he whispered back and Fawn and Xalo both appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, clutching each other's hand and looking frightened, but he could see the relief in their eyes when they saw Elphaba.

"We both had nightmares," Xalo admitted, "and we couldn't really sleep again, so we went to Mama's room, but she wasn't there, so we knew she'd have to be here…"

"We're sorry for waking you up," Fawn added, lowering her gaze, but Fiyero shook his head.

"Don't be," he said, motioning to the bed. "Come here, you two. Cuddle up next to your mum – my bed is big enough, anyway."

Their faces brightened and they both crawled onto the bed. Elphaba stirred and opened her eyes, smiling a little at her children when she saw them. She scooted away from Fiyero to make room for the twins to snuggle up in between them; Xalo wiggled down next to Fiyero and Fawn curled up beside Elphaba.

"Hello," Elphaba murmured, stroking Fawn's hair. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Fawn whispered back. "Just a bad dream."

Xalo was beaming as he lay there, looking from Fiyero to Elphaba and back. "Is this what it's like to have a dad?" he asked enthusiastically.

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look.

Fawn perked up at that, too. "Yes! Yacin and Emala told us that whenever they have bad dreams, or they're scared, or they just want to cuddle, they always go to their parents' bedroom and then sometimes their parents let them sleep in the big bed between them, just like we're doing now!"

Elphaba ran her hand over Xalo's head and then touched Fawn's cheek. "Yeah, sweetie," she said quietly. "I suppose this is a little what it's like to have a dad."

Xalo smiled widely, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep. Elphaba held Fawn in her arms as she closed her eyes again, too, but she was still awake when Fawn whispered, "Fiyero?"

"Yes?" the bodyguard whispered back.

"I'm really glad you're here," said Fawn. "Not just to protect us, I mean, but also as our friend. We like you. I mean, I didn't in the beginning, but I do now. Like Mum."

Fiyero chuckled softly. "I like you, too, Fawn. Both of you. And I'm glad I came here."

"Me, too," Fawn said sleepily. "I told you – she's happier when you're around. You make her happy and we like seeing Mum happy."

Elphaba could tell that Fiyero had no idea what to say to that. He eventually settled for, "Thanks, kiddo," and Fawn yawned.

"Good night," she muttered.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered back.

Elphaba fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

On Saturday, Cohvu and Galinda informed Elphaba and Fiyero that they'd be having an impromptu little party the next afternoon.

"Nothing big," Cohvu assured them. "Just tea in the garden with a couple of friends, to celebrate our good news. Galinda already contacted Gazilon to ask if he'd be able to come and he let her know this morning that he can make it, so it's on for tomorrow."

Elphaba, who knew all about the blond man's proposal plans, grinned at him knowingly and he grinned back. Celebrating Galinda's pregnancy was a good excuse to get all their friends together, but it wasn't the actual reason for the party. The green woman was already looking forward to seeing the look on her best friend's face.

"What about Duran?" she asked, her grin fading. "Is he coming, too?"

Cohvu shook his head. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Glin invited him, but he hasn't let us know yet if he'll be there or not. We'll just have to wait and see."

Elphaba sighed. "I feel awful."

"Don't," Cohvu told her, touching her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. He'll come around, I'm sure of it. Duran doesn't hold grudges and he's the most easy-going guy I know. He'll sulk for a bit and then he'll be back acting like nothing happened, don't worry."

Elphaba just hoped he was right.

Sunday afternoon rolled around and when Fiyero went looking for the dark-haired witch to see if she was ready yet, he found her in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing a pretty dress in different shades of white, grey, and silver, with short sleeves and a swirly skirt down to her knees. As he walked in, she was just attempting to secure her long, ebony hair in a high ponytail with a pink ribbon, only the ribbon refused to stay put and she cursed.

Fiyero laughed. "You looked so pretty and girly just now, but that language ruined the picture a little," he teased as he came further into the room.

Elphaba glared at him. "I am not pretty, nor am I girly," she informed him.

He just shook his head. "You're right," he said. "You're not pretty, you're beautiful; and you're too much of a woman to be girly." He stepped up behind her and kissed her cheek, taking the ribbon from her. "Why don't you secure it with an elastic band first and then tie the ribbon around that?" he suggested and she turned around to stare at him.

"Since when have you been an expert on hair accessories?" she demanded.

He grinned, handing her an elastic band. "Hurry, will you? Cohvu is ready, Oscar and the twins are already downstairs, Gazilon and some of Galinda's girlfriends are here, and Galinda herself will be entering the garden in twenty minutes – if she's on time, anyway." They'd all gathered earlier than Galinda thought she had to be there, so Cohvu could prepare his proposal and surprise Galinda with it the moment she arrived.

Elphaba wrapped the elastic band around her hair and then turned around to face Fiyero. "And Duran?"

He shook his head sympathetically, watching her face fall. "Sorry, hon. He's not here."

She took a deep breath. "Well, that was to be expected, I suppose. I hoped he'd put aside his problems with me for Cohvu and Galinda's sake, but I guess he's just too hurt and angry."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Fiyero told her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and looking at their reflection in the mirror. "You know that, right?"

She shrugged listlessly. "Cohvu said the same thing, but…"

"Well, he's a teacher, so he's always right and you should listen to him." Fiyero smiled at the face she made at him in the mirror and he pressed his lips to her temple briefly. "Give me that." He took the pink ribbon from her and expertly tied it around her ponytail. "Done. Now come."

"Should I be worried that you can tie hair ribbons?" she asked as he pulled her out of the room.

He winked. "It's one of my many qualities."

"I'd say cooking is a handier skill to possess than tying hair ribbons," she muttered under her breath, "but that could just be me."

Fiyero childishly stuck out his tongue and pulled her down the stairs, all the way to the ground floor, and outside into the garden. Only when they arrived there did his face clear. "Hey – I just found my way from your room to the garden, all by myself!" he said in wonder. "Without taking a wrong turn, I mean! That never happened before!"

Elphaba laughed at him and made him take his place.

The garden was decorated in white and pink, to keep up the baby theme (Galinda was convinced her baby was going to be a girl). There were balloons, strings of fairy lights, and a couple of small tables with chairs alongside a large buffet table on which the food would be installed later that afternoon. There was even a band, standing on an improvised stage at the back of the party area. Above the stage was a banner, covered in silver and pink glitter. Two of the Palace's staff members were standing on ladders on either side of the stage, hiding between the trees, and they would drop the banner at Cohvu's signal. The banner said ' _Galinda, will you marry me?_ '. It was all very over the top and very Galinda, which was why it was perfect.

Xalo was dressed in a smart, white suit and Fawn wore the most adorable little pink dress, also short-sleeved and with a swishy skirt like her mother's dress, only this one also had some ribbons on it. It had been a present from Galinda for Lurlinemas the previous year and Fawn hated it with a passion, but it was the only pink thing she owned.

"You're not wearing pink, either!" she accused Elphaba when she saw her.

Elphaba pointed at her hair ribbon. "Am, too."

"But that's not fair!" Fawn stomped her foot. "Why can you all wear white and I have to be stuck in this dress? I look horrible, Mum! Auntie Galinda can say all she wants, but pink does _not_ go good with green!"

Fiyero laughed and Elphaba crouched down in front of her daughter. "It's only for today, honey," she said consolingly. "Auntie Galinda got you this dress and she'll be very happy to see you in it. She'll love it, I'm sure. Just do it for her, okay? Because it's her special day?"

Fawn sighed and nodded reluctantly.

Elphaba gave her a conspiratorial grin. "And after today, you'll never have to wear it again."

"Can I burn it?" Fawn asked hopefully, which made Fiyero laugh even harder.

"We'll see about that," said Elphaba to her daughter, who was satisfied with that and skipped off.

The dark-haired witch looked at Fiyero. "Should I be worried that my nine-year-old daughter wants to burn things?" she asked.

He shuddered. "To be honest, Fae, I can't really blame her. That dress _is_ horrific."

Elphaba chortled. "I know. I might just burn it myself tonight." She looked around the garden. Cohvu was standing a bit off to the side, clearly nervous, and Gazilon was trying to calm him down. Fawn and Xalo were now chasing one another through the garden, zig-zagging between guests. A group of Galinda's girlfriends stood close together, talking and giggling about something, and Oscar came walking up to Elphaba and Fiyero.

"You both look nice," he complimented them, but they could only stare at him.

He looked down at his clothes and then defensively back up at them. "What? The theme was pink and white, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Dad," said Elphaba slowly. "Pink and white. Which most of the men interpreted as white clothes with a touch of pink, such as a tie or a handkerchief. Not the other way around."

His shoes were white, yes, but that was about all. Oscar was wearing pink trousers, a matching pink jacket, and a shirt in lighter pink. His tie was striped in different shades of pink. Overall, it looked even more terrible than Fawn's little pink dress did.

Oscar just shrugged. "I'm embracing the theme," he informed his daughter. "Galinda will love it."

"He's right about that, at least," Elphaba muttered to Fiyero as her father walked away. "Would it be very rude for me to pretend I don't know him today?"

Fiyero just grinned.

Just then, someone else came into the gardens, instantly going up to Cohvu. "Sorry I'm late," Elphaba heard him say to the blond man, sounding slightly out of breath. She stared at the back of his head.

"Is that…?" Fiyero began, but by then the man had already turned around and they could see his face. He looked at Elphaba, said something to Cohvu, and then made his way over to her.

He stopped in front of her, but she couldn't even look at him. "Hey," he said.

"Duran, I'm so sorry," she burst out, looking up, but he just sighed and shook his head.

"Look, I won't pretend that it's entirely okay," he said. "I'll admit that I was angry, and hurt. Mostly hurt."

She hugged herself. "I know," she whispered. "I didn't want to believe it, I really didn't, but the evidence…"

"Fiyero told me." Duran glanced at the other man, who gave him a nod. He nodded back. "Still, I can't stay mad at you forever," he said to Elphaba. "We've been friends for so long already and you're right – everything pointed at it being me, so I can't really blame you. Nor you," he said to Fiyero. "You were only doing your job." He glanced at Elphaba again, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Besides," he added, "you're too pretty for me to stay angry with you for long, anyway, even if I _wasn't_ in love with you. All you have to do is give me that wide-eyed 'I'm-sorry'-look and I'm done for, you know that."

She looked at him hopefully and he made a face. "See? There it is." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

She ignored his outstretched hand and threw her arms around him instead, hugging him tightly. "I really am sorry, Dur," she said, her voice coming out a little choked. "Not just for this, but for everything."

She could tell he knew what she meant by the way his gaze flitted to Fiyero for just a moment and he softened. "I know." He lowered his voice, whispering into her hair so only she could hear. "He's good to you, right?"

"Very," she assured him and he nodded and pulled away.

Fiyero's eyes had grown a little wider. "It makes sense now," he said, looking at Elphaba. "Remember the gunman?"

She nodded – how could she forget the man who tried to shoot her? – and Fiyero said, "He described someone who looked like Duran, when he was asked to tell us about the man who bribed him. That's partly what we based our suspicions on, along with the cufflink with the military insigne. Fairly tall, brown hair, strong jaw and chin, thick eyebrows, dark blue or green eyes…"

Elphaba stared at Duran and thought about Avaric, and she saw what Fiyero meant. "They look alike."

"Not that much," Fiyero amended, "but enough for us to get confused. All the things he mentioned are characteristics Duran and Avaric share."

"Never mind that Duran is actually taller than Avaric, or that Avaric is more muscular, or that his eyes are green and Duran's blue," Elphaba mused aloud. "There are differences, but from that description, it could have been either one of them."

Fiyero grimaced. "We've been so focused on Duran that we completely missed the links to Avaric."

"It happens," Duran assured him. "I'm a soldier, Fiyero – I know a bit about these things. I can understand what happened and I don't really blame either of you. Just buy me a couple of Vinkun beers at _Square One_ someday soon and I'll forget all about it, I promise."

The bodyguard grinned and Elphaba smiled.

"Take your places!" Cohvu suddenly shouted and they all sprang away from each other, hiding behind tables, trees, and bushes. Cohvu himself stepped up on the stage with the band members and took a microphone.

When Galinda came walking out into the garden, everyone leapt out and yelled, "Surprise!"

The blonde laughed, even though there were tears in her eyes. "Oh, you guys! That's really sweet, that you gathered here early to surprise me; but it's not really a surprise for me if the party was planned by, well, me, you know."

"Are you sure about that?" Cohvu asked her from the stage, the microphone making him clearly audible throughout the garden, and Galinda looked at him.

He smiled at her. "My dearest Galinda," he said and she suddenly held her breath. "I don't think I'm the only one who fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, but I do believe I'm the only one who only loved you more with each minute I spent in your company. We've been together for well over four years and I've loved every moment of it, because I knew I could call you mine."

Galinda was already crying, probably at least partly due to hormones, and Elphaba moved over to her and took her hand. Galinda squeezed gratefully and smiled when Fawn and Xalo stepped up beside her as well.

"You're always cheerful, always happy and bubbly, and you're optimistic to a fault," Cohvu continued. "You're quite literally the sunshine of my life, because every time I see you, you bring a smile to my face. I can't imagine my life without you anymore, Galinda; and now we're going to be parents." His smile widened even further. "That is why I want to ask you a very important question." He signalled the staff members on the ladders and the banner fell in a rain of glitter. At the same time, the band started to play a love song.

Fawn and Xalo cheered and Galinda clasped both hands over her mouth, more tears spilling from her eyes.

"Yes!" she wept, running over to Cohvu as fast as she could in her ridiculously high stiletto heels and flinging her arms around his neck, kissing him. Everyone present applauded and whistled and Cohvu and Galinda were both crying as they kissed one another, completely oblivious to anything or anyone else around them. Fiyero wrapped his arms around Elphaba's waist and she leaned back against him, smiling as she watched her two best friends celebrating one of the happiest moments of their lives.

"Someone go get the cake!" Oscar shouted merrily and Fiyero, laughing, let go of Elphaba and went inside, moving to the kitchen to get the cake Harron had made especially for this occasion from the walk-in fridge. He opened the door, only to find everyone's blissful bubble of happiness shattered when he saw the cake, destroyed and covered in red paint, with a folded note stuck into the top.


	30. Worries

**Yeesh, guys, your reviews are making me blush! So many of them, all so sweet, and even one in Portugese and one in Dutch. Special thanks to the guest reviewer who said my updates are the highlights of your day - because that's pretty much the goal of every writer!**

* * *

 **30\. Worries**

Fiyero didn't tell anyone about the stalker's latest threat. Instead, he told everyone bashfully that he had dropped the cake and that it was ruined, but there were also cupcakes if anyone wanted one. No-one was angry, not even Galinda or Cohvu; everyone just laughed and stuffed themselves with cupcakes instead. Fiyero had asked Harron, who'd seen the cake and been horrified at the implications of it, to clean up the mess and to not tell a soul about this, which the cook had promised he'd do. The bodyguard had also asked some of the other guards to search the Palace and see if they could find anything, but to do so quietly and without raising alarm. He was determined not to let anything spoil this day for Cohvu and Galinda. They deserved a carefree afternoon of simple joy over their impending wedding.

"You're clumsy," Fawn said to Fiyero, taking a bite of what he thought to be her third cupcake.

"Hey, it was a big cake," Fiyero protested, which made her giggle, as had been his intention.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "We still like you."

Fiyero pretended to wipe some sweat from his brow. "Thank goodness."

They ate, laughed, talked, and danced to the music of the band. Fiyero, deciding not to think about the stalker again until later that day, pulled a loudly protesting Elphaba to him and started dancing with her. She tried to sneak off a few times, but he caught her around the waist and yanked her back, grinning at her exasperated face and stealing a kiss from her.

Galinda and Cohvu were dancing as well, as was pretty much everyone else. Over the course of the afternoon, Elphaba found herself not just dancing with Fiyero, but also with Cohvu, Duran, and Gazilon, and even with her father. She was just recovering from that latter experience when Xalo came up to her, bowed formally, and said, "May I have this dance, Milady?"

That caused a wide smile to spread across her face and she curtseyed. "You may, good sir." She then proceeded to dance with her son, who tried to mimic the other men's dance moves as well as he could, and Elphaba gave him a big kiss afterwards.

"Mum!" he complained, wiping his cheek. "That's not what a lady does after having danced with a man!"

"Oh, you're right, sweetheart. How could I forget?" She curtseyed again. "Thank you for this dance, sir."

"The pleasure was all mine, Milady," he replied, leaving her quite impressed. She laughed when she saw him move on to Galinda to ask her to dance as well.

She sat back with a drink, watching Fawn dancing around with Oscar, Cohvu, Duran, and Gazilon, giggling all the while. Fiyero went over to the little green girl and asked her to dance as well, to which she eagerly agreed.

"Step onto my shoes," he instructed her and she did so, holding Fiyero's hands tightly as he started walking around with her, making her shriek with laughter. Elphaba couldn't help but think that Xalo had been right: Fiyero was the closest thing they'd ever had to a father. It had only been the little things they'd really missed out on by growing up without a father, she mused, but they still had missed out on certain things and she hated that thought.

They had fun the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening before the first guests started to leave. Gazilon was among them, since he still had to drive a couple of hours back home; and Duran decided to go as well.

"No hard feelings?" Fiyero asked him as he clasped the other man's hand.

"Buy me those Vinkun beers one of these days and I'll tell you," Duran replied, at which Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba hugged both him and Gazilon, promised to keep them updated on the stalker business, and asked them to drive safely before watching them leave. It took a while, but eventually, the garden had emptied of guests, the band had packed up and left, and the only ones still out there were the Palace staff members cleaning up the mess.

Galinda sighed happily as she returned inside. "That was wonderful, wasn't it, Elphie?"

"It was perfect," Elphaba agreed with a smile. "Very you."

Galinda smiled back. "Thank you for letting us have the party at the Palace," she said, but Elphaba waved her off.

"We have too much room here, anyway, and we have staff," she said. "It was much easier to do it here than back at your place. Although perhaps you should consider moving here," she teased, "since you and Cohvu seem to be spending all your time here, anyway."

Galinda giggled. "I suppose we'll stay at home more often once my pregnancy progresses," she said, placing one hand on her still-flat abdomen. "Oh, Elphie, can you believe this? I'm having a baby and I'm getting married!"

Elphaba had to smile again at that. "How do you feel about that?"

"I feel like it's about time!" Galinda said, which made Elphaba chortle. "No, I'm serious! Elphie, right when we first became friends, I told you I wanted to be married straight after school and have a baby not much later – and look at me now, being your and Oscar's PA for nearly four years already!"

"Glin, you're twenty-five," Elphaba emphasised. "You're still young. Trust me, you don't want to have a baby too early."

Galinda looked at her. "You would know," she said, "but you're so happy with Fawn and Xalo at the same time."

"Of course I am." Elphaba smiled at the mere thought of her children. "But still. It wasn't easy back then, Glin. I love them to pieces, but if I could have had them five or even ten years later, I would have." She patted her friend's arm. "It's good to have a solid base first before you start doing such things. You and Cohvu both have good jobs and you've saved money, you've got your own house… it's important to have a stable home life before having a baby, both for yourselves and for the child. Trust me."

"I do." Galinda sighed happily. "I can't wait to start preparing things for the wedding, and the nursery… I really hope it's a girl!"

"Of course you do," Elphaba muttered and Galinda was so happy and serene that she did not even admonish her friend for that.

* * *

After Cohvu and Galinda's engagement party, the stalker was pushed to the back of everyone's minds a little, for which Elphaba was grateful. The twins hardly talked about anything other than Uncle Cohvu and Auntie Galinda's wedding and their baby. Fawn was to be Galinda's flower girl and Xalo would carry the rings, which they were incredibly excited about.

As for Cohvu and Galinda themselves, they walked around as if they were on cloud nine all the time. Galinda sighed and giggled a lot, even more so than usual, and there was a dreamy look in her eyes. Cohvu acted normally enough, aside from the huge grin that seemed to have taken permanent residence on his face; but the moment he laid eyes on his fiancée, that grin grew to inhuman proportions and adoration was written all over his face. Elphaba complained they were making her nauseous, but everyone knew she was genuinely happy for her friends and glad that their happiness wasn't being overshadowed by her own problems at the moment.

The only one who wasn't happy at all was Fiyero. Oh, he was happy for Cohvu and Galinda, definitely; but with each passing day without any trace of Avaric, his scowl became deeper, his eyes darker, and his frustration more palpable. He just couldn't stand the idea of Avaric being out there, going freely, while they were all still afraid he would do something to Elphaba. He'd been inside the Palace _again_ , made it to the kitchen and the cake, and still no-one had seen or heard anything and his guards couldn't find any trace whatsoever. It drove him crazy.

He hadn't told Elphaba about Avaric's latest threat; but when he entered his rooms one day after work, he found her sitting on the edge of his bed, the note from the cake in her hands. She looked up when he entered and he deflated upon seeing what she was holding, his shoulders slumping.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" she asked.

He sank down onto the bed next to her and ran his hands over his face. "Everyone was so happy and relaxed after the party," he said, not looking at her. He buried his face in his hands. "I didn't want to ruin that. For any of you. Nothing more came from it, anyway – there's no trace. No fingerprints, no footsteps, nothing."

Elphaba laid her hand on his shoulder. "I understand," she said quietly. "Still, you should have told me."

He glanced up at her and when he saw she wasn't angry with him, he exhaled slowly. "I know."

She removed her hand and leaned her head on his shoulder instead, lacing their fingers together. "Are you okay, Yero?" she asked and he could hear the concern in her voice. "Because I can't help but feel like all this is slowly driving you insane."

He glanced at the note she was holding. _I want you, my love,_ it read, followed by yet another detailed description of what it was, exactly, that he wanted. Fiyero felt sick just looking at the note, knowing what it said.

"Maybe it is," he admitted and she raised her head to look at him.

"Why?" she asked. "You've had difficult cases before."

"I have," he confirmed. "Some far more difficult, and some even longer, than this one. But…" He sighed through his nose and reached up to touch her face. "None of them involved someone I care about," he said. "Not really. I've grown attached to clients before, but never to this extent… and this is why I was so adamant to stay away from you, Fae. I've fallen in love with you and the mere thought of this bastard doing something to you, or to the twins, makes me want to _kill_ him. Quite literally."

She smiled sadly and squeezed his hand. "I understand." She cupped his face in both her hands, making her look at him. "But, Yero, I trust you. We all do. You've solved your cases before and you'll solve this one, too."

"Yes, but at what cost?" he asked and she shook her head.

"You're protecting us," she said. "Nothing is going to happen to us." She swung one leg over him, straddling his lap, and rested her forehead against his. "Stop worrying, Yero my hero," she said. It worked – he smiled. "We'll all be fine."

He nodded and she ran her long, slender fingers through his hair, pressing her lips against his. "Hey, Yero?"

He made a little noise of acknowledgement in his throat, something between a hum and a sigh, and it made her smile. She kissed him again. "I know you'll be coming to that gala this Thursday with us, anyway, for protection and everything…"

"Mm-mm."

"But I was wondering if you'd want to come in a different capacity as well."

He opened his eyes to look at her and she sat back a little. "As… well, as my date."

A brilliant smile lit up his face and he pulled her closer again, kissing her deeply. He pushed her back onto the bed, kicked off his shoes, and lay down beside her, kissing her again.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," she said between kisses and he grinned.

"You do that."

"So that's you and me, Oscar, and Fawn and Xalo," Elphaba summed up. Her tone and the thoughtful look in her eyes made it clear she was thinking right now and that wasn't exactly what Fiyero wanted her to do, but he decided to indulge her for just a moment.

"Galinda and Cohvu aren't coming, are they?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's just for government officials and such," she explained. "Mayor Samms has been in office for ten years – hence the anniversary gala – and he knows most of the other important mayors and officials quite well. He and Dad have been friends for a while, too. It's a bit of a mix between an official and a private party, I think."

He pursed his lips, considering that, and cocked his head a little to the side. "Do you know what you're going to wear yet?" he enquired.

Elphaba stared at him. "Since when have you turned into Galinda's male counterpart?" she demanded and he chuckled.

"I just like seeing you in pretty dresses." Fiyero shrugged. "Can you blame me? Obviously you're always beautiful, but I love it when you dress up."

She was still staring and he prodded, "So do you have a dress yet? Wait a second," he frowned, "should I get a new suit? Or a tuxedo? Should we match our outfits or something?"

Now she rolled her eyes at him. "Don't obsess over it, please. You'll see my dress in two days' time and whatever your fanciest suit is will work just fine."

"If you say so." He still looked doubtful, though, and a little put out. "Can you at least tell me the _colour_ of your dress?"

She scowled at him and pushed herself up, intending to move away from the bed, but Fiyero caught her around the waist and yanked her back. She fell flat onto her back on the bed and he grinned as he hovered over her, pinning her arms above her head and capturing her lips with his in a gentle kiss.

"Does this mean you're done talking about formalwear?" Elphaba asked pointedly.

He gave her an impish grin. "I think I'm done talking about _anything_ right now," he said and she smiled and pulled him back to her for another kiss.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

* * *

 **Enjoy the fluff while it lasts, because the next few chapters are going to be heavy ones!**


	31. Panic

**Okay - I know I said you'd find out the stalker's definite identity in this chapter, and you sort of will; but you won't get any definite answers until the next chapter. To be honest, I'm kind of anxious about your reactions, haha. I tried to explain everything, make it as realistic as possible, and to give clues about the stalker's real identity without being too obvious about it. I just hope you won't all be like, "Man, that's lame!" when you find out who it is. :P**

* * *

 **31\. Panic**

Mayor Samms's anniversary gala was held in a beautiful, renovated castle in northern Quadling Country, about a three-hour drive from the Palace in the Emerald City. Once again, they left in two cars – Fiyero driving one with Elphaba beside him and Oscar and the twins in the back, followed by the second car, which was filled with security guards. Galinda had suggested it might be easier for them to stay the night at a hotel in Quadling Country, rather than driving all the way back to the City in the middle of the night after the party; but Fiyero had dismissed that idea.

"It wouldn't be secure enough, Glin," he explained. "I'd really much rather drive them all back home after the gala. I don't mind – I've gone several nights without sleep before and so have the other guards. It's safer that way."

Since it would be a long day and they wouldn't be back until late that night, the twins were given two days off from their tutoring sessions with Cohvu, something they were very excited about. They chatted and played games with Oscar in the back of the car, just like they'd done on the way back from Munchkinland. Next to Fiyero, Elphaba was clutching the edges of her chair so hard her knuckles went white.

He glanced at her. "You can open the window a little, if you want to," he suggested. "Just a crack can't really hurt."

She managed a smile at him, though it was forced and faint, and she opened the window the tiniest bit. She heaved a sigh and looked back at the twins, who appeared to be having fun. Then she glanced down at her phone, but there were no messages from anyone. She'd talked to Nessarose on the phone again that morning to ask her sister if everything was okay and to inform her of the plans for the gala. Thankfully, there had been no indication of stalker activity in Munchkinland, but Elphaba worried about Nessa regardless.

The phone beeped and she jumped. She ran a hand through her hair with a sheepish look at Fiyero, who grinned slightly at her exaggerated reaction.

"Hey, I don't blame you," he said. "We're all paranoid these days."

She snorted in agreement and opened the message, which was from Galinda.

 _I hope you remembered to bring your dress, Elphie, and you'd better stay safe on your trip, okay? Have fun!_

She sniggered a little. "Galinda says she hopes I remembered to pack my dress. Speaking of paranoid people…"

"It says a lot about Galinda that she's paranoid about your dress, though, rather than your stalker," Oscar said with a chuckle from the back seat and Elphaba smiled.

"It does," she agreed. "Though trust me when I say that Glin is at least as paranoid as we are about my stalker. She just likes to focus on more cheerful things instead."

"So… _did_ you pack your dress?" Fiyero asked and she gave him a sideway look.

"We're not starting this discussion again, are we?" she asked. "I'm not Galinda, you know. I won't kill you if my dress clashes with your tie." She cocked her head a little to the side. "What colour _is_ your tie?"

He looked disgruntled. "I don't know. Galinda insisted on picking it out for me and she told me not to open the box until we get there."

Elphaba laughed, her tension momentarily forgotten. "In that case, you won't have to worry about your tie clashing with my dress, because knowing Galinda she chose the exact right colour for you."

They drove in silence for a while. Elphaba looked out of the window, trying to take comfort in the tiny open space through which she could feel the wind rushing in, but it didn't really help much; she felt confined, trapped, and she could feel her heart begin to pound. Trying to distract herself, she thought of the upcoming gala and of her dress. Galinda had proclaimed that Fiyero would fall down onto his knees to propose the moment he saw Elphaba in her dress. The green woman, of course, had laughed, but not believed her friend at all. She did wonder now what Fiyero would think, though.

She continued to stare out of the window, but it felt like her chest was slowly constricting; she couldn't breathe. She was starting to feel faint and a little dizzy, too.

Fiyero, noticing the way she was shaking, reached out to take her hand. "Fae? Are you all right?"

She shook her head wordlessly and he said gently, "Slow breaths, not too deep. It's all right. Do you want me to stop the car?"

"It's not safe," she said, sounding breathless. She _was_ breathless and she wanted nothing more than to burst out of this car, but she couldn't. "What if Avaric is following us?"

Fiyero looked over at her and when he noticed the sweat on her brow, her trembling hands, and the way her breaths came in short bursts, he wordlessly drove the car over to the side of the road and stopped it. He leapt out of the vehicle and moved to the other side to open Elphaba's door, helping her out and guiding her to sit down in the grass.

"Keep breathing," he said calmly, running his hand over her head and down her back repeatedly. "That's it. You're all right."

Dimly, she was aware of Fawn asking worriedly, "Grandpa? Is Mum okay?" and her father replying, "She's fine, princess. She just got a little scared because she had to be in the car so long."

"Why doesn't Mum like small spaces?" Xalo asked, but Elphaba didn't hear Oscar's reply to that. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, on feeling the air and the wind around her. She was fine now. She was free.

Fiyero stayed beside her until the attack had passed and then she slowly exhaled and opened her eyes, looking up at him. "Thanks."

He smiled. "Not a problem." He brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "Are you okay now?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath and then letting it out again in a sigh. "Yeah. I'm good. Just… give me a minute before I have to get back in there."

"Take all the time you need." He continued to stroke her hair and she reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing tightly. He squeezed back, which made her smile faintly.

She got back in the car not much later and the rest of the drive was uneventful, though Elphaba was glad when they reached their destination. Mayor Samms greeted them all warmly and offered them dinner before showing them to some rooms in the castle where they could freshen up and change into their party clothes.

Fawn and Xalo were entranced by the castle, which looked like something out of a fairy-tale. They also very much liked their clothes; Xalo loved the fact that he got to wear a tux, parading around the rooms like a little gentleman, and Fawn admitted to her mother in a whisper that her party dress, which was puffy and coloured ivory and gold, made her feel like a princess.

Elphaba slipped into her own dress and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Her dress was pale blue and sleeveless with a high neck. The bodice was fitted and covered in darker blue beading, which continued down to her hips and then flared out in strands that fell into the folds of the widening tulle skirt. She wore dark blue heels with it, along with some simple jewellery. She wasn't very good at doing her hair without Galinda's help, so she just brushed it and let it fall around her shoulders in an ebony curtain. She also applied some make-up to her eyes and lips.

When she emerged, Fawn and Xalo both squealed and ran in to throw their arms around her middle.

"Mum!" Fawn exulted. "You look _amazing_!"

"When I grow up, I want to marry you," Xalo declared, looking up at her. Both Elphaba and Oscar, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, laughed at that.

"You do look beautiful, Elphaba," her father said with a smile and she blushed and thanked him. She glanced around, looking for Fiyero, and Oscar said knowingly, "He'll be out soon. He's still getting ready himself."

As if that was his cue, the door opened and Fiyero came out, struggling with a tie – indeed in the exact same colour as the pale blue of Elphaba's dress. "Oz, I'd forgotten how much I hate ties," he grunted, pulling at the offensive garment. "I can never get them –"

He cut himself off when he saw Elphaba. Fawn and Xalo both giggled and ran over to Oscar, the three of them watching eagerly as Fiyero's eyes slowly wandered across Elphaba from top to bottom and then back up again, a look of complete and utter awe spreading across his face.

"Wow," he breathed at last and Elphaba's blush deepened. He looked completely awestruck at the sight of her. "You… You look… Sweet Oz, you look amazing." He shook his head slightly, as if to clear it, and then approached her and placed his hands on her waist, looking her over once more. "This dress was definitely worth the wait," he conceded and a laugh bubbled from her throat. She was more touched by his reaction than she was willing to let on. It wasn't quite a proposal, but she thought Galinda would have found this satisfying, too, if she'd been here.

Smiling, she reached up to fix his tie, straightening it and then giving it a little pat. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He grinned boyishly at her and she lowered her gaze, feeling herself blush again, but he tilted her chin up with his fingers to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and accepted the arm he offered her. Oscar left the room first, followed by Elphaba and Fiyero, and then Fawn and Xalo. They paraded into the ballroom downstairs like that and some of the people already present turned around to smile at the family when they came in.

Mayor Samms's wife approached them, smiling widely. "You two look so beautiful!" she gushed to Fawn and Xalo, who respectively blushed and beamed at the compliment. The woman laughed and kissed Oscar's cheek. "Welcome, Oscar. It's good to see you again. And your grandchildren! They are even more adorable than the last time I saw them!"

"They are," Oscar agreed with a chuckle. "They get that from their mother. You look beautiful as well, Evanne."

She thanked him and then moved on to Elphaba, exchanging kisses with her as well. "Look at you! You only get more beautiful with time, too," she exclaimed, shaking her head. "No wonder those children of yours are such adorable little sweethearts. Dear, how _do_ you manage to stay so skinny?"

Elphaba smiled wryly. "Stress makes me lose my appetite."

The mayor's wife nodded in understanding. "And being the Emerald City's deputy mayor is obviously very stressful."

"Yes," Elphaba agreed, exchanging a knowing look with Fiyero. They both knew it wasn't her job that had been causing the majority of her stress lately. "Besides, you're one to talk. You have a gorgeous figure."

Evanne sighed gracefully. "It's kind of you to say so, dear, but I'm getting old and it's starting to show – in my weight as well as in the wrinkles in my face." She made a face. "Oh, well. I suppose I should be grateful I get to grow old at all. Besides, my husband keeps telling me I'm still the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. He's such a sweetheart." She glanced at Fiyero, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Speaking of sweethearts, I see you finally found one of your own. Hi," she said to Fiyero, kissing his cheek as well. "I'm Evanne Samms, the host's wife."

"Fiyero Tiggular," he introduced himself. "I'm Elphaba's boyfriend."

The older woman eyed him appreciatively and then squeezed Elphaba's arm. "You did well, dear," she said to the young witch before turning back to Fiyero and adding, "And so did you. My husband and I have known Elphaba since Oscar first brought her to one of our little parties, just after she graduated from Shiz University, and she's a sweet girl. Very smart, too. My husband just loves discussing politics with her." She patted Fiyero's shoulder. "I'm happy for you both. Enjoy tonight," she said, smiling again, before walking away.

Fiyero chuckled a little awkwardly. "Well, then."

Elphaba just smiled at his discomfort. "Evanne is nice. She and her husband were among the first people to accept me and get to know me after Oscar started bringing me into the public eye. They've been a bit like an aunt and uncle to me for the past ten years or so."

"She does seem nice," Fiyero admitted. He smiled softly at Elphaba. "Although I do think I'm luckier to have you than the other way around."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Oh, please." She watched fondly as Fawn and Xalo ran off to play with some of the other children that had already arrived and then turned her attention back to Fiyero, who was still watching her. "What?" she asked, self-consciously fidgeting with a lock of hair.

"You just look so beautiful," he murmured, reaching up to touch her face. She blushed and lowered her gaze, but he cupped her cheek to make her look at him again. "Will you dance with me?"

"I'm not good at dancing," she protested, but he gently tugged her to the middle of the ballroom nonetheless and drew her into his arms, swaying with her to the music the band on the stage was playing.

Elphaba had never really been one for dancing, but tonight, she somehow lost track of time whilst in Fiyero's arms and they danced most of the night away. Fawn and Xalo were enjoying themselves with the other children, Oscar was mingling, and the security guards that had accompanied them were keeping an eye on everyone and everything; so Fiyero and Elphaba could just focus on each other for once. They talked to a couple of officials and went to get a refreshment or a bite of food every now and then. Mostly, though, they danced, and by the time it was approaching eleven o'clock, Elphaba's feet were incredibly sore.

"No more," she gasped, laughing, when Fiyero tried to lead her into another dance. "Please. I swear, if I take one more step, my feet will fall off."

He laughed, too, and scooped her up in his arms bridal style. He planted a kiss on her lips. "Problem solved."

She chuckled breathlessly and Fiyero gently set her down again. She took off her shoes and moved to a bench near the wall, letting herself fall down on it and flexing and curling her toes a few times. "Sweet Oz, how does Galinda do everything in heels all the time?"

"Practice?" Fiyero suggested and she nodded, smiling.

"Probably." She tilted her head a little to the side, watching everyone dance and laugh and have a good time. "Do you think anyone would notice me not wearing shoes for the rest of the night?"

"I do think they'd notice, yes," Fiyero said with a grin and Elphaba grinned back.

"It was worth a try." She pushed herself back to her feet, heels in her hand. "I'll just go get my ballet flats from upstairs instead. I'll be right back. Would you ask Fawn to dance?" she asked him more quietly, nodding at her daughter, who had abandoned the other children and was now standing alone, looking a little lost. "She's never been too good with crowds… they tend to overwhelm her. She's a lot like me, in that respect." She smiled a little sadly.

Fiyero kissed her cheek. "I will, don't worry," he promised her and she looked relieved.

"Thanks. I'll be right back," she said again, slipping out the door on her bare feet and into the hallway. They had both had such a nice, carefree night, neither of them thought twice about the fact that maybe she should have brought a guard along – especially since the entrances to the castle were all guarded by their own men.

It was when Elphaba was out in the hallway that someone suddenly shot at her and she was startled to recognise Duran. "Dur?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

His face was ashen. "I need to talk to you," he said urgently. "In private. We can't risk him overhearing." He took her elbow and led her around a corner. Her heart was pounding in her throat. Who was 'he'? She could make an educated guess, of course, and the conclusion she was coming to was something too terrible to even imagine.

Duran pushed her gently through an open doorway, glancing around nervously. He made to follow her, but then the door suddenly slammed shut before him and she heard him cry out.

"No!" Duran shouted and there was the sound of something slamming into the door. "You stay away from her! Elphaba, run!" he called through the door, but when Elphaba whirled around, she saw that she was standing in a small room with no windows and no other doors. She was trapped.

She heard a hiss from outside the door. "Shut _up_!"

The voice was a familiar one and she stifled a panicked sob when she realised it was Avaric on the other side of the door, doing Oz knew what to Duran in an attempt to get to her. She tried the door, hoping she could maybe help her friend with her magic, but the door was locked and instantly, she was gripped by a whole different kind of panic. She screamed, banging her fists against the door. "Avaric! Leave him alone! Let me out!"

She heard nothing but the sounds of an ongoing scuffle – thumps, gasps, and grunts of pain – and she beat against the wooden door fruitlessly, screaming until her voice was hoarse, not just afraid for Duran now but mainly just desperate to get out of this tiny, confined room that made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

Suddenly, there was silence on the other side of the door and she sobbed, wondering what Avaric had done to Duran. She continued to pound on the door, but there was no reply whatsoever and then she became aware of something else. Something that sent a wave of fresh panic through her, so overwhelming she thought for a moment that she was going to faint.

She could smell smoke. Avaric had started a fire in the castle.


	32. Heroes

**I have to admit... Nelly, your predictive abilities in this story are kind of scary. You'll see.**

 **I don't have much to say this time around, so let's just get on with it, shall we? Oh no, wait, one thing - I finally finished writing this fic yesterday and there will be 42 chapters, marking it as the second-longest fic I've ever written (after Shadows)! :)**

* * *

 **32\. Heroes**

Fiyero didn't even realise anything was amiss until one of the waiters came running into the room, looking terrified. "Fire!" he cried, waving his arms wildly. "Fire! Everyone get out, there's a fire!"

The room erupted in panic. The band stopped playing and everyone dropped what they were doing to gape for a moment and then hurry off. Some of the guests and staff members were at the doors to the room, guiding the other people in the direction of the front door.

Fiyero's first reaction was to search the room very quickly, locate the twins, and run over to them. He gently placed a hand on each of their backs and propelled them in the direction of the exit. "Don't worry, guys," he tried to reassure them. "We'll get you out of here."

Xalo was looking anxious. "What about Mum?"

Fiyero swore under his breath, realising Elphaba had gone upstairs to change shoes. "I'll go get your mum," he promised them. "Don't worry. Oscar!" he called, spotting the Emerald City mayor. "Can you please take the kids outside? I have to go find Elphaba."

Oscar, looking worried, instantly agreed and took over the twins. Fiyero ran up the stairs and over to the room Elphaba had to be in, not bothering to knock. "Fae?"

He looked around. She wasn't there. There was no trace she'd been there, either; he even found her ballet flats still in her bag and his worry grew. Where had she gone?

"Bathroom," he muttered to himself and he ran back down the stairs, trying to find the bathroom closest to the ballroom, but she wasn't in there, either. There were some other women and he sent them outside as well.

Maybe she'd heard the calls, or smelt the smoke, and she'd gone outside already? He couldn't imagine she had, not without her children, but perhaps a staff member had found her and ushered her outside. Running again, Fiyero moved out the door. He found Oscar and the twins quickly, and all of the other guests were accounted for according to Mayor Samms and his wife, but Elphaba wasn't there.

Feeling increasingly sick, he turned to one of the policemen who had arrived. "Someone's still inside," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm going back in to find her."

"No, sir," the man said sternly. "We'll find her for you, don't worry."

"How did this happen?" Oscar asked, looking pale, and the policeman turned to him.

"We just received a tip from that man over there," he explained, pointing at someone, "that he saw another man sneak into the castle when security wasn't looking and that he probably lit the fire."

Fiyero followed the policeman's finger and stiffened when he saw the man in question.

Avaric.

He strode over to the older man, barking a command at a couple of the other security guards who'd accompanied them. They followed him, but when Avaric saw them coming, his eyes widened.

"Look, I know what you think, but it's not me!" he cried, holding up both hands. "It was that friend of Elphaba's – the one who looks a bit like me, what's his name…"

"Duran?" Fiyero asked, frowning, and Avaric nodded vehemently.

"He sneaked into the castle," he insisted. "I saw him."

Fiyero gave him a long look. "What are _you_ doing here, then?"

Avaric faltered and Fiyero made a gesture that sent the other security guards straight at the brunette, restraining him.

"Fiyero!" Oscar bellowed, running at the younger man with both twins on his hands. "Fiyero, listen," he said urgently. "Fawn, Xalo, tell him."

"We dreamt about this," Xalo said, his lower lip quivering.

Fawn nodded, her green eyes wide and terrified. "The night we came into your room after we had a nightmare, we dreamt about this," she whispered. "About Avaric locking Mum in a small room, and of him setting fire to the building and threatening Mum, you, and Uncle Duran with a gun. We both dreamt the same thing, Fiyero, and now it's happening!"

Fiyero's face had gone deathly pale.

"Elphaba had the same dream," he said in disbelief. "The same night. She told me about it."

"It wasn't a dream, Fiyero," Oscar said, sounding as dumbstruck as Fiyero felt. "It was a vision. A vision of the future. Elphaba has had those before… she must not have realised what it meant."

Fiyero swore again, more vehemently this time, and pushed through the throng of people chattering nervously and excitedly about the fire. Before anyone could stop him, he dashed back into the castle to look for Elphaba.

The smoke was thick in some parts of the hallway now and he could hear the roaring of the fire. Frantically wondering where Elphaba could have gone – or what either Duran or Avaric could have done to her – he shouted her name, but he didn't get any response. He threw open every door he could find and kicked open a few more doors that were locked. She wasn't there. It felt like it had been hours already since the fire had started, even though he knew it had probably only been a couple of minutes at most. He didn't know where the fire had started or how fast it was spreading. He had to find Elphaba before she got caught in the flames or inhaled too much smoke.

He was almost starting to despair and he felt like screaming, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, however, he was struck by an idea and he stormed back outside and over to the twins.

"I don't know where she is," he said, out of breath from the running and the fear. He crouched down in front of Fawn and Xalo. "Can you help me find your mum?" he asked them desperately and they exchanged a hesitant look, but then nodded, their eyes determined.

"We can try the spell Mum uses sometimes," Xalo said quietly. "We've never done it before, but we know the words."

"Please," Fiyero pleaded and the twins exchanged another look, holding hands as they started chanting the words. They closed their eyes and Fiyero watched them anxiously for any sign.

Suddenly, Fawn gasped and both their eyes flew open.

"Down the hallway," Fawn said quickly, "around the corner, the second door to the right."

Xalo took over. "You'll get into another hallway and then it's the third door on the left. She's in there. Someone's inside the building with her, but not inside the same room."

"Duran," Fiyero breathed and, very briefly, he pressed both twins against him tightly. "Thank you so much, you two. You've been a great help," he said earnestly.

"Will you find her?" Fawn asked, her voice trembling. Xalo took her hand, but he looked scared, too.

Fiyero flashed them a brief smile he hoped would be reassuring. "Of course I will," he said before turning around and racing off once again.

* * *

It took a while for Elphaba's hysterical brain to register the sound of groaning coming from the other side of the door, but she only really noticed it when she heard Duran's voice hoarsely calling her name. "Elphaba?"

Even in her current state, she felt her heart leap a little. At least her friend was still alive. "Duran," she whimpered, pressing her forehead against the door and forcing herself to take slow breaths, which was becoming increasingly difficult. "Get me out of here. Please."

She heard thumping sounds. The doorknob turned, but the door didn't open. Duran's voice, commanding, "Step away from the door," and she obeyed. More thumps, louder, and she was pretty sure he was throwing himself against the door; but it still didn't open.

"I can't," he said, now sounding panicked as well. "I'm sorry, El… I can't get it to open. It's too heavy. The fire's not too close yet, but you won't be safe here forever – I don't think the firemen will be here in time to be able to put out the fire before it reaches you. I could try to find Mayor Samms, or someone else who might have a key…"

"No!" she cried. She knew she sounded like a terrified child, but she didn't care. "Don't leave me alone!"

"El, you might die if I don't get you out of here!"

She choked on a sob.

It was quiet for a moment on the other side of the door. Then Duran said, much more softly now, "I need to tell you something first. And Elphaba… I am so, so sorry. I never meant for all this to happen, you have to believe me."

She stilled, even her panic forgotten for a moment at the tone of his voice. "What?" she croaked. "What did you do?"

Duran took a deep breath. "I helped him," he confessed. "I helped Avaric."

She was too stunned to speak. It was like the smell of the smoke, her fear over being locked in such a small space, and her anxiousness about Avaric all disappeared to the background and she genuinely thought she was going to faint for a moment. Duran helped Avaric? What did that even mean?

She heard something on the other side of the door and when he spoke again, his voice sounded closer – she suspected he was the one resting his forehead against the door now. "I found out he was your stalker and I helped him. I'm so sorry, El."

She pressed her own cheek against the wood and closed her eyes for a moment. "Why?" she choked out. "Why would you do that?"

His answer was simple and instant. "Because I'm in love with you." She heard him take a deep, sharp breath. "I didn't know it at first. When Avaric beat me up the night you and I went out for a drink, I had no idea it was him. I remembered something later, though… a vague impression of his face. I didn't know what Avaric looked like, but when I talked to Galinda on the phone after the twins' birthday party, when you were all in Munchkinland, she told me about him – that he contacted you, that he was at the party… she described him and I realised that he must have been the guy who attacked me. It made perfect sense."

It did. Describing Avaric to their friends was something Galinda would do, especially since she'd been quite impressed by meeting the man who had essentially single-handedly changed her best friend's life; and if Duran had remembered something he hadn't before…

"I realised… I thought I could use the situation to my own advantage. If I could keep track of Avaric somehow and then expose him right when he was about to do something bad, pretending to catch him red-handed, I thought I'd be your hero. I thought… I thought maybe then you'd love me back."

Despite everything, her heart broke at that. She'd always known, deep down, that Duran wasn't a bad person; he was just desperate. "Oh, Duran…"

"When I heard about the attack in Munchkinland, I knew he must have been there, but I couldn't believe he'd drag the twins into it. I used some connections in the military to find out where he was staying and I pretended to want to work with him. I told him about your extra security measures at the Palace and pointed out to him that it'd be easier for him to do things inside your home if he let _me_ do them, because none of you would suspect me. He made me a deal: if I helped him, I could have you if I let him have the twins."

Elphaba couldn't help the soft gasp that escaped her lips, even though she felt like she should have seen this coming.

"I agreed, but you have to believe me when I say I would never have tried to separate you from them, Elphaba," Duran said pleadingly. "I never intended to let him go through with his plans. Maybe he knew that, or maybe he just had an agenda of his own from the beginning as well and he didn't trust me as much as I thought he did, because he didn't intend for me to get you, either. I think he either wanted you for himself after all or he wanted to kill you, so he'd get the twins; and I didn't even realise that until tonight, when he locked you in here, punched my lights out, and set fire to the building." His voice broke.

"How did he know?" she asked, feeling strangely calm. It was like her whole body and mind had gone numb; as if she was there, but not really. "How did he know I was in Munchkinland, and all those things?"

"He was tapping your phone," Duran replied. "That's how he knew you were in Munchkinland, and that you would be at _The Silver Swan_ with President Sevens – as soon as he heard that, he set things in motion with that gunman he threatened and bribed to try to shoot you. Avaric wasn't lying when he told you he was some high-up secret agent in the military. He had access to all kinds of technical stuff to help him. He was the one who sneaked into your bedroom on the night after the twins' party and he was the one who attacked Fiyero and the twins in Munchkinland, although he mainly wanted to scare you by killing Fiyero. He didn't intend for Fawn and Xalo to get hurt, but his detonator malfunctioned."

"What about the letter afterwards?" she wanted to know, her voice high-pitched and panicked. "He said he was sorry for dragging my children into it, but I didn't leave him much of a choice."

"Covering up his mistake," Duran answered shortly.

"And the other things he did?" Elphaba asked softly. "Everything up to and including Munchkinland was him, but after that? The cake at Cohvu and Galinda's party? The knife in my pillow?"

"That was me," Duran admitted in a pained tone of voice. "I had to win Avaric's trust somehow. That's how I did it. I tricked one of your employees into bringing a package inside the Palace, claiming it was a surprise present for you, and she took it without checking what it was, just like I hoped. That's how I sneaked the knife inside that I later planted into your pillow."

She nodded, even though he couldn't see that. Her eyes were still closed and she could feel her heart thumping, but at the same time it felt like all this was happening to someone else, not her. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing, even though it made sense. Duran had helped her stalker… because he loved her. Because he thought if he could be her hero, she'd magically fall in love with him as well.

"I believed you," she whispered. "You acted so angry and hurt after Fiyero arrested you, you kept asking me how I could believe you'd ever do such a thing… but you did do it. It was you all along."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm so, so sorry, El. I wanted to confess, I did, but… I couldn't. I thought I'd lose you for sure if I did, that I'd never have a chance with you again, and I couldn't stand that thought; so I lied. And I understand if you'll never be able to forgive me, or even never want to see me again. If I were you, I'd hate me, too." She heard him move away from the door. "I'm going to get help. Regardless of what you may think of me now, I'm not a murderer and I'm not going to let you die in here."

Just then, however, there was a different noise – skidding footsteps – and a voice exclaimed, "Duran?!"

"Fiyero!" Elphaba cried, recognising his voice, and she started pounding on the door again, her panic returning full-force.

"She's in there," she heard Duran say to Fiyero. "I can't break down the door."

"Together," Fiyero said grimly and then he called, "Fae, back away from the door!"

She did, again, and the two men tried to break down the door together. On their third try, they succeeded and the door flew open. Right that instant, Elphaba came flying out and Fiyero caught her around the waist with one arm. She struggled against him in blind panic, but he held her tightly and turned her around so she could look at him. "It's me," he reassured her, gently holding her by her upper arms. "You're okay."

A sob escaped her lips and she stopped resisting, allowing him to hold her.

"Shh, Fae, it's okay," he soothed her, stroking her hair. "We're going to get you out of here."

She clung to him, her hysteria only slowly fading, but he just held her until she was a bit calmer. Over his shoulder, she could see Duran standing just inside the room she'd been in, looking relieved at seeing her relatively all right, but he looked lost and sad at the same time. He was probably expecting her to tell Fiyero about his confession straight away.

She didn't. She would, later, but now they just all had to get out. Duran wasn't a danger to her anymore; he probably never really had been. She was confident he wouldn't hurt her.

"Can you walk?" Fiyero asked Elphaba and she nodded, forcing herself to get herself together. Fiyero slipped an arm around her waist and she leaned heavily against him, her legs shaking, as they made their way out of the small room and into the hallway. The fire was close now and she recoiled a little at the wall of flames rising to her left, but Fiyero guided her away from it, talking to her reassuringly all the while, although his words were lost on her muddled brain. Duran followed them.

Before they reached the door that would lead them to the main hallway, however, someone appeared in the doorway in question and they all halted, freezing in their tracks.

"Avaric," Elphaba breathed and, her temper suddenly getting the better of her, she spat, "You son of a bitch."

The expression on his face instantly changed and he snarled at her. "You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" His eyes flicked to Duran. "Did he say it was me? Because you shouldn't believe a word he says. It was him, not me! He's your stalker!"

"You _jerk_ –" Duran began, stepping forward, but Elphaba held out a hand to stop him.

"No," she said, her voice trembling. "He may have helped you, but you'rethe one who attacked my friend. And Fiyero. And my children!"

She could tell Fiyero was confused, but he didn't ask questions, bless him. He just stayed right beside her and she knew he had his hand on his gun, just in case. Around them, the smoke was starting to get thicker and she knew they had to hurry.

" _Our_ children!" Avaric corrected her hotly. "And that was a mistake! I would never hurt them!"

"You already did!" she shouted. "And they're not our children, Avaric. They're mine and I'd rather die than let you come anywhere near them _ever_ again! Now let us pass before you kill us all!"

As if to punctuate her statement, the fire behind them roared. Behind Avaric, Elphaba could see the reddish glow of more fire and that claustrophobic fear was starting to creep up on her again. If they didn't get out of here soon, they'd be trapped… they'd all die of smoke inhalation or burn to death.

"We could be wonderful parents, you and I," Avaric said, quieter now, either oblivious to the threat or ignoring it for the moment. "Think about it, Elphaba. I could give you all you need, all three of you. Don't you think they need a father?"

She lifted her chin. "Fiyero's been fulfilling that role rather well, actually," she taunted him. Perhaps challenging him wasn't such a good idea, but she wanted nothing more than to launch herself at this horrible jerk and scratch his eyes out. She hated him with every fibre of her being and she couldn't control her temper any longer around him.

His eyes narrowed. "He is _nothing_ ," he sneered. "I am a much better husband for you and a much better father to Fawn and Xalo. Be with me and I promise we'll all be happy."

"I _am_ happy," she declared. "I could never be with someone who threatens me, who attacks people I love, and especially not someone who attacks my children."

He cursed. "So that was my big mistake, huh? It _was_ a mistake, Elphaba! I didn't want them to get hurt!"

"But they did," she hissed. "And it doesn't matter, anyway. I love Fiyero."

She'd never said it that outright before and it would have made Fiyero's heart flutter if the situation had been any different. Now, however, there was the very real threat of them getting trapped by the fire; and there was no time for him to contemplate Elphaba's words, anyway, because Avaric pulled out a gun, pointing it at Elphaba. Fiyero instantly drew his own gun, but knew he couldn't shoot until Avaric lowered his weapon. He couldn't risk Elphaba getting hurt.

"Well," Avaric said, gritting his teeth. He glanced at Fiyero contemptuously for a brief moment before looking back at Elphaba, smirking slightly. "We'll just have to do something about that, then."

He aimed the gun at Fiyero's chest and fired; but by then, Elphaba had already pushed the bodyguard aside and she cried out when the bullet hit herinstead. She crumpled to the floor, curling into herself, blood already pouring out from between her fingers.

"Elphaba!" Fiyero and Duran screamed at the same time, both of them falling down on their knees beside her. She was gasping for breath and Fiyero gently cradled her head in his lap.

"You monster!" Duran shouted at Avaric, scrambling to his feet.

Avaric, however, just snarled at him. "You know what? I don't care about her!" He gestured with the gun at Elphaba. "I'll be happier with just my children," he said, a devious smile slowly spreading across his face. "Much less hassle."

With that, he pointed the gun at the green woman lying helplessly on the floor, but this time it was Duran who stepped in. He threw himself at Avaric, bringing him off-balance and attempting to wrestle the gun from him.

"Get off me!" Avaric yelled as he struggled with the other man. "Get off me or I swear I'll blow you to pieces!"

Duran didn't budge and suddenly, Avaric fired, multiple times. Duran staggered backwards, patches of red blooming on his shirt. Elphaba screamed and Fiyero swore vehemently as Duran cast one last, pleading look at the young witch on the floor and then collapsed beside her, dead.

"You killed him!" Elphaba cried hysterically, tears streaming down her face – of pain over her injury or pain over losing her friend, she herself didn't even know. "You _killed_ him!"

Without warning, Fiyero this time launched himself at the other man, who was taken completely by surprise. The gun clattered to the floor and the two men fought, throwing punches and pulling at each other's shirts and hair, hands closing around throats before one of them threw the other off again. It was when Avaric was straddling Fiyero, pinning him to the floor and attempting to strangle him with his bare hands, a crazy fire in his eyes as he watched Fiyero's struggles grow weaker, that Elphaba finally lost it. Her magic exploded.

It was a single blast, bright green and blinding, her desperate "No!" barely heard above the sound of it in combination with the roaring fire. It hit Avaric square in the chest and the look on his face was one of astonishment as he found himself flung backwards… straight into the wall of flames behind him.

Elphaba collapsed in a heap on the floor, exhausted after so much magic, the blood loss from the bullet wound between her ribs draining her strength further. Fiyero, recovering quickly, scrambled over to her. "Elphaba!"

But her eyes had fluttered shut and although her chest was still rising and falling, her breathing was irregular and shallow and her own blood was pooling around her. Stifling a sob of his own, Fiyero gently cradled her in his arms. Her skin felt cold, which did nothing to assuage his fears. "Hold on," he begged her, rising to his feet with her and casting a last, regretful look at Duran's body before steeling himself and taking a deep breath. He coughed, the smoke getting to him, but he forced himself to move. "Hold on, Fae. Stay with me."

She whimpered, but her eyes didn't open and her breaths only seemed to grow shallower.

"Don't you dare die on me now," he growled at her, a desperate fear rising within him as he all but ran down the burning hallway, knowing he had to get Elphaba out of it and find a way to save her life before it was too late. He skidded to a halt about halfway down the hall; and he looked around frantically. He was surrounded by fire now, high flames blocking his only way out of the castle. He'd have to jump through.

He looked down at Elphaba again. Was her face starting to look grey or was that just the firelight playing tricks on his eyes? She was completely unconscious in his arms, a dead weight; he couldn't even see or feel her chest move anymore, but she had to be still alive. She just had to be. She was probably in shock from the blood loss – he had to get her out of here.

He forced himself not to look at the trail of blood she'd left behind in the hallway and he took a deep breath, clutching her even tighter to him and steeling himself. Then he leapt through the wall of flames in front of him.


	33. Injuries

**A quick update before I leave for work! Hope you'll still like this story and stick with it, despite the fact that the major problem has been solved. :) I mean, you know me - the trouble isn't quite over yet, although it'll be trouble of a different nature.**

* * *

 **33\. Injuries**

They were both burnt, but not too badly. Fiyero had managed to shield Elphaba from most of the fire and he hardly even felt his own injuries. He was much more worried about her bullet wound. The moment he came bursting out of the castle, he started yelling for help and several ambulance technicians came running at the two of them, but Fiyero growled at them, looking around anxiously. He was searching for a flash of green, but the crowd outside the castle was dense and large and he couldn't see anything, anyway, what with the firelight bathing everything in an unearthly glow.

"Get the twins!" he insisted desperately, pleading the people he could see for help. "Get Fawn and Xalo – the little green girl and her brother! Where are the twins? Fawn!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "Xalo!"

"Fiyero?" Oscar called and he came running at the bodyguard, a twin on each hand, and Fiyero breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hold on, Fae," he whispered to Elphaba's ashen face as he ran towards the three and knelt down before them.

"Listen to me, you guys," he said seriously, but making sure to keep his terror and despair out of his voice. "Your mum is hurt and she needs your help. She's going to be just fine, okay? You don't have to worry, but I do need you to use your magic to heal her injuries."

Xalo looked dumbfounded at the sight of his mother like this and there were tears in Fawn's dark green eyes, but they both nodded, not saying a word, and sat down beside Elphaba. Oscar crouched behind them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders; and Fiyero reached across Elphaba's still body to take each of the kids' hands.

"I have faith in you," he said, his voice as steady as he could keep it. He didn't want to scare them even further. "You don't have to heal her completely; just a little would already be very helpful, so the doctors over at the ambulance there can take over. If you could just stop the bleeding, that'd be wonderful. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes," Fawn said quietly. She looked up at Fiyero. "Will she really be all right?"

"Absolutely," he promised her, even though he couldn't know that for sure. It seemed to give Fawn the confidence she needed, though, because she nodded again and then she and Xalo held hands and both closed their eyes, calling on their magic. Fiyero watched them silently, praying that this would work and they wouldn't lose Elphaba. She couldn't die. Not now. Not after everything. It was almost over…

He tried not to think of the fact that he'd been supposed to protect her, that he was _paid_ to keep Avaric from doing something to her, and that he had failed. If anyone should have caught that bullet, it was him. He was the one Avaric had aimed for in the first place, for Oz's sake.

He'd failed assignments before, but never to this extent.

A white glow from Fawn and Xalo's hands was enveloping Elphaba now. Fiyero could see the way Xalo's brow was furrowed in concentration, the way Fawn was squeezing her eyes shut and her lips were moving ever so slightly. The young girl reminded him so much of Elphaba in that moment that he had to look away, but looking at Elphaba herself wasn't much better. The pallor of her skin made her look like she was already dead.

She wasn't, though. She couldn't be. As the twins performed their magic, Fiyero focused on finding movement in Elphaba – any movement at all. Finally, he noticed the way her chest was still rising and falling ever so slightly and he focused on that, counting her breaths, which were way too fast, and trying not to look at the blood still pouring from the wound between her ribs.

He had some experience with bullet wounds, though, so he couldn't stop his brain screaming certain facts at him. A bullet wound between the ribs most likely meant the bullet punctured her lung. All the blood told him something else might be going on as well; maybe an artery was nicked… was there an artery near the lungs? He couldn't remember. He couldn't even think straight. All he could think about was that with this amount of blood, he couldn't fathom her surviving.

The twins opened their eyes. The glow had disappeared. They still looked worried and for a moment, Fiyero thought they were going to tell him their mother had died; but then Xalo said quietly, "We healed her a bit, but we can't do more."

"Was she shot?" Fawn demanded and Fiyero could only nod mutely.

Fawn bit her lip. "Then I think the bullet's still stuck inside her. I can feel something – something I can't heal."

Xalo nodded, looking pale. "I feel it, too. I think she's not bleeding anymore, but we're not strong enough to help her more."

"The ambulance doctors can help her now, can't they?" Fawn asked in a small voice.

Fiyero exhaled slowly and he looked down at Elphaba, who was slightly less ashen-faced now, no more blood coming from her wound and her breathing just a bit more regular than before. He cupped Fawn's cheek and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then pulled Xalo against him for a brief moment.

"You did wonderfully," he assured them. "Thank you. I think you just saved your mum's life."

Xalo didn't look very reassured. "Will she be all right now?" he asked in a small voice.

Fiyero gave him a fleeting smile. "We're going to try our hardest to make sure she will be," he told the boy before scooping Elphaba up in his arms again and carrying her back to the ambulance technicians for further treatment.

They greeted him with frowns on their faces. "You should have let us help right away, sir," one of them chided him as they took Elphaba from him and loaded her into the ambulance, checking her over and attaching her to all kinds of tubes and machines. Fiyero didn't even know what they were for.

"No," he said stubbornly. "Her kids have magic. They healed her."

That shut the ambulance technicians up and they focused on Elphaba again, telling Fiyero to stand back a little while they worked on her. After a while, they gave her an oxygen mask and one of the men hopped into the back of the ambulance with her. The other looked at Fiyero.

"You can ride with us," he offered. "We'll treat your burns as well."

Fiyero nodded, but then he caught sight of Oscar and the twins, and the look on the older man's face. He swallowed. "No," he said, looking at Oscar. "Let her father go with her. I'll take the twins and we'll follow you to the hospital in our own car – I can get my burns treated there."

"Thank you, Fiyero," Oscar said, near tears himself, and Fiyero squeezed the older man's shoulder for a moment before moving away. Oscar climbed into the back of the ambulance and Fiyero led Fawn and Xalo to their own car, only stopping briefly to inform some of the police officers about the two dead bodies inside the castle before getting into the car and driving off the castle grounds, following the ambulance.

* * *

The next time Fiyero saw Elphaba, she was lying in a white bed in a sterile-looking hospital room, with a tube in her mouth and her eyes closed. There was an IV emerging from her arm and a stand with several bags of fluids hanging from it standing beside her; when he looked closer, he realised there were more tubes and wires and he was starting to feel a little nauseous. He understood now why Oscar had told the twins gently but firmly that they would have to wait a while longer before they could see their mum. The sight of her on all these machines wasn't something Fawn and Xalo needed to see.

"Hey, Fae," Fiyero murmured, moving closer and brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek. There were still some burns on her skin, but they weren't too serious. Her bullet wound had been the medical staff's main priority. She'd just come out of surgery and they were waiting now to see how she'd respond to that first operation before they'd take her away for a second one. The bullet had done quite a bit of damage and she wasn't out of danger yet; but without the twins, her doctor had told him in wonder, she'd probably have died of blood loss before she'd have made it to the hospital.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, blinking a few times when he suddenly couldn't see clearly anymore. It took him a moment to realise his eyes had simply filled with tears and he felt embarrassed at that, but at the same time he didn't really care. There was no-one here to see him, anyway. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

She didn't move and he took her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb as he sat beside her for a little while. After about five minutes, a nurse came in and smiled sympathetically at him.

"I'm sorry, Mr Tiggular, you're going to have to leave," she said apologetically. "Miss Thropp needs to be prepped for her next surgery."

Fiyero nodded and pressed a kiss to the back of Elphaba's hand before carefully placing it back beside her. "I love you," he whispered to her and then he stood.

The nurse touched his arm lightly. "Don't worry," she assured him. "We'll take good care of her. She's not completely out of the woods yet, but the worst danger is over and this next surgery won't take as long as the first did. I'll come get you and Mayor Diggs the moment she's out to tell you how it went and you'll be able to see her soon afterwards. You could even bring your children then, if you'd like."

Fiyero started a little at that. "Oh. Um… they're not my children," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "Just… just hers."

"Oh." The nurse looked surprised. "I thought… Well, never mind that." She smiled at him again. "She's in good hands."

He nodded and, after casting one last look at Elphaba, left the room.

It had been a long night. He and the twins had arrived at the hospital to find Oscar pacing the waiting room, explaining wearily that Elphaba had been taken into surgery and all they could do now was wait for news. Fiyero had been taken to the ER for his burns to be treated and when he'd returned, a nurse had been talking to Oscar, asking him for information on Elphaba – her personal information, her medical history, and what exactly had happened to her tonight. Fiyero had stepped in at that point and explained everything.

He'd had to tell his story again to a couple of police officers early in the morning, who had come to take his statement. He didn't know everything that had been going on, though, only what he'd gathered from the things said between Elphaba, Duran, and Avaric during the fire. The investigation was still ongoing and they would need a testimony from Elphaba if possible, once she woke up, but for now they left them alone. They did tell him that the fire at the castle had been put out that night and that both Duran and Avaric's bodies had been recovered. They were the only casualties. An autopsy would reveal their definite causes of death.

The twins, scared and tired to the bone, had fallen asleep against Fiyero's sides in the waiting room chairs and Oscar had suggested they look up a hotel. Fiyero had agreed and taken Fawn and Xalo away, leaving Oscar at the hospital in case there was any news. After a couple of hours, they had switched roles and so Fiyero was here at the hospital now while the mayor was getting some well-deserved sleep… or was supposed to, anyway. Somehow, Fiyero doubted Oscar could sleep right now.

He spent the rest of the morning sprawled on an uncomfortable hospital chair in the boring hospital waiting room, drinking bad hospital coffee and flipping through old hospital magazines. How he hated hospitals. He couldn't focus on anything; every time he thought he heard something, he shot up straight, but there was never any news. Every now and then, a nurse passed through the waiting room; she'd inevitably give him a sympathetic, knowing smile and then move on without saying anything.

There were a few other people in the waiting room, but not many. There'd been an old lady who had been called away fairly soon after Fiyero had settled down; her husband had come out of surgery and she could see him. There was a middle-aged couple sitting on the other end of the room now, along with a teenager. Fiyero supposed they had a child – and sibling – in surgery right now. They were talking over their drinks, appearing mildly concerned and glancing at the empty hallway across from Fiyero all the time. The bodyguard sagged a little more in his chair and trained his gaze once more on that same hallway, willing someone to come through there and tell him Elphaba was okay.

At some point, Oscar returned with Fawn and Xalo and both kids flew at him, hugging him tightly.

"Have you seen Mum?" Xalo asked urgently.

Fiyero shook his head. "Not since this morning, buddy," he said apologetically. "They're still working on her."

Fawn looked up at him. "How did she look?" she asked seriously. "This morning?"

Fiyero smiled. "Much better than before," he assured the little green girl. He wasn't entirely sure that was true, but he thought it _would_ have been true if all the tubes and things hadn't been there. She'd had more colour in her face, at least.

Fawn looked slightly reassured at that and she and Xalo went to play with some toys and books in the corner of the room. Oscar sat down beside Fiyero and the two men just sat in silence for a while, waiting.

"Have you slept?" Fiyero asked at some point, breaking the silence.

Oscar shook his head tiredly. "Not really. You?"

Fiyero grinned, but the grin didn't reach his eyes. "What kind of question is that?"

Oscar gave him an understanding look and then they were quiet again.

Fiyero didn't really feel tired. It had been great to go to a hotel, shower, change clothes, and rest and eat a little; but he hadn't been able to sleep. Instead, he was functioning on coffee – lots and lots of coffee.

By the time noon rolled around, there was still no news and they were all starting to get hungry. Fiyero rose to his feet and stretched, his back popping, before turning to Oscar and the twins. He just opened his mouth to tell them he'd go pick up some lunch and ask them what they wanted when there were footsteps in the hallway behind him. He spun around, his heart pounding. There was a blonde, curly-haired nurse heading their way.

"Thropp?" she asked and Oscar rose to his feet as well, just as Fiyero said hoarsely, "Yes."

The nurse beamed at them. "I'm Blanca. Don't worry, Miss Thropp is doing just fine," she assured them all immediately and it was like the air suddenly returned to the room and they could all breathe again. Fiyero sagged, Oscar exhaled audibly, and the twins both burst into tears.

Oscar quickly put his arms around Fawn and Xalo and hugged them close as the nurse crouched down so she was at their level. "Were you scared for your mum?" she asked knowingly and Xalo nodded, even as his sister hiccupped a sob.

"I can understand that," Blanca said comfortingly. "But she's going to be all right now, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Fiyero croaked and Blanca straightened, touched his shoulder, and nodded.

"The surgery was a success," she said. "The bullet has been removed and all the damage that could be repaired has been repaired. She'll have to do the rest on her own, but she's a strong young woman. She'll pull through. She's been awake and responsive already and although she'll need fluid and medication through an IV for a while longer, most of the tubes have been removed and she's breathing on her own now."

Fiyero wasn't even aware he was crying until Oscar handed him a handkerchief. The mayor's eyes were also distinctively misty-eyed.

"She's asleep now," Blanca continued gently, "but you can see her if you want to – just for a little while, and you have to be quiet."

Fawn and Xalo nodded fervently. The friendly nurse smiled at them and held out her hands. "Shall we go?" she offered.

They each took one of her hands and she led the way into the hallway she'd just come from, with Oscar and Fiyero both hot on her trail.

Elphaba was, indeed, asleep, and the twins were quieter than Fiyero had ever seen them before. They both went to their mother's bedside and just stared at her face for a little while. Oscar stepped up behind them, an arm around each twin, and Fiyero stood at the foot of the bed. She did look better than before, he thought. He hoped Blanca was right and she would be completely all right again.

"What's in there?" Xalo asked in a whisper, pointing at one of the fluid bags attached to the IV in Elphaba's arm.

Blanca smiled at him. "Your mum needs a lot of medication right now," she explained softly, "and she has to sleep a lot, so she can't swallow all the time. That's why we give her the medication through a needle in her arm. Don't worry, she doesn't feel a thing of that," she added and Xalo nodded.

"Cool," he said, impressed, as he looked back up at the fluid bags above his head.

Blanca apologetically sent them away again soon after that. They stepped out into the hallway together and Fiyero let out a breath, looking at Oscar.

The older man smiled and clapped his hand on Fiyero's shoulder. "It's over, son," he said, heaving a deep sigh as if letting out all the tension he'd been holding since last night – or maybe even since a couple of months ago. "It's over."


	34. Recovery

**Fanfiction is not showing reviews again. :( I got the emails, though, so I'm still reading them and loving them, no worries - it's just mildly annoying that it keeps happening. I hope they'll fix it soon!**

* * *

 **34\. Recovery**

After being reassured by both Blanca and Elphaba's doctor that she was stable and would at least sleep through the afternoon and until the next morning, what with the medication she was on, Oscar, Fiyero, Fawn, and Xalo all went back to their hotel for food and some much-needed sleep. They were sharing a room for the night and the twins, surprisingly, fell asleep quickly, even though it was only afternoon; Fiyero supposed the emotions of the past day must have exhausted them. It took him and Oscar a lot longer to fall asleep, but they eventually managed as well.

He only woke up once, at some point a little past midnight, because Fawn was crying in her sleep. Xalo was already sitting with her, stroking his sister's long, dark brown hair, but he looked relieved to see Fiyero.

"I don't want to wake her up," he whispered apologetically, "but she won't stop crying."

Fiyero ran his hand over the little boy's head. "Don't worry, buddy," he murmured sleepily, reaching out to rub Fawn's back. "Fawn? Come on, princess, it's okay. You're okay and so's your mum," he soothed her.

She opened her eyes suddenly with a soft cry. Xalo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Fawn," he told her, but she was still crying a little. When she eventually calmed down and let go of her brother, she hugged herself, looking at Fiyero.

"Will you stay with us?" she whispered, watching him with dark green eyes that looked huge in the darkness.

"Of course, princess," Fiyero said, but he was a little surprised when she instantly snuggled into his side. He lay down with her, Xalo on her other side already half asleep again.

Suddenly, Fawn frowned a little. "Did you call me 'princess'? Only grandpa ever calls me that," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, but she shook her head.

"No," she said drowsily. "I like it when you call me that." With that, she laid her head on his shoulder, wrapped her little arms around his waist, and drifted off within minutes.

* * *

Naturally, they returned to the hospital first thing in the morning, only to find the bubbly, curly-haired nurse there again.

"Good news!" she sang to them the moment they stepped out of the lift. "Miss Elphaba is awake and doing quite well. I'm assuming you'd all like to see her?" She smiled at the twins. "She's been asking for you two."

Fawn's face lit up at that and she and Xalo practically skipped down the hallway. Blanca, laughing, called after them, "It's room 394, to your left!"

"Is she really doing well?" Oscar asked the blonde nurse anxiously and Blanca nodded.

"She is," she assured the mayor. "She even managed to eat and drink a little by herself this morning. She'll be in pain for a while longer, but we'll give her medication for that." She patted Oscar's arm consolingly. "You go see your daughter now, Mayor Diggs."

He smiled wearily at her and followed the twins into Elphaba's hospital room. Fiyero wasn't far behind.

She was sitting up this time, her eyes open and her arms already around her kids, her face buried in Fawn's hair as she hugged them both tightly to her with her left arm – it must hurt to move her right, Fiyero thought, what with the bullet wound being on that side. The children were both crying, Oscar's eyes filled up as well, and Fiyero was pretty sure he could see Elphaba's shoulders shake slightly, too. He couldn't really keep himself from tearing up, either, when everyone else around him was crying.

Elphaba sniffled and looked up, smiling at Oscar when she saw the look on his face. He leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"I'm really glad you're all right, sweetheart," he mumbled and she nodded.

"Me, too, Dad."

She looked past him, at Fiyero, and held out her arm. He didn't say anything because he was afraid he'd sound completely choked up, but he did approach her. She surprised him by pulling him down and planting a kiss on his lips.

"It's good to see you," she said, smiling sadly. "Thank you for saving my life."

He looked at her. He couldn't believe she was thanking him when he'd failed so horribly at everything he'd been meant to do – keep her safe from her stalker, protect her, give his life for hers if he had to – but he didn't say that aloud. She'd argue with him, he knew, and she shouldn't be arguing so soon after coming out of surgery.

"Are you okay, Mum?" Xalo asked and Elphaba directed her smile at him.

"I will be," she assured him. "It hurts pretty badly, but I've got pain medication for that. I'm a little dizzy sometimes and somewhat nauseous, but that's from the surgery, so it'll pass soon." She winked at her son. "I'm tougher than I look, you know."

He grinned at her. "I know."

Fawn was still crying and Elphaba stroked her hair, whispering soothing words into her ear until her sobs slowed to sniffles and then stopped completely.

Blanca was watching all this with a smile on her face as she checked some things on Elphaba's chart, adjusted the IV bags hanging from the stand beside Elphaba's bed, and bustled around the room a bit. She looked at Elphaba. "Do you need anything else?" she asked kindly.

"To know when I can get out of here?" Elphaba tried hopefully and Blanca laughed.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised and left the room.

"Fae, you were shot!" Fiyero protested, spluttering slightly. "You can't get out of here already!"

She scowled at him. "I'm feeling much better already," she countered, "and I don't want to be stuck here. If only because they refuse to leave the door to my room open all the time," she added and Fiyero grimaced slightly. He could only imagine how much worse her claustrophobia had gotten after what happened at the gala.

"Mayor Samms and Evanne send their regards and best wishes," Oscar told Elphaba. "They were very shocked by what happened – everyone was. I spoke to Galinda on the phone a few times and tried to convince her not to worry too much, but of course she and Cohvu are frantic. I'll call them soon to tell them you're all right."

"She shouldn't worry," Elphaba said matter-of-factly. "It's bad for the baby."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Her best friend almost died, but no, she shouldn't worry," he said sarcastically.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "I didn't almost die."

"Did, too," Fawn countered, suddenly speaking up. "The doctor said you'd have died if Xalo and I hadn't healed you."

Elphaba fell silent at that, mildly shocked, and Xalo nodded enthusiastically.

"We saved your life, Mum!" he said, grinning again. "Isn't that cool? You saved us in Munchkinland and now we saved you!"

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm sorry I scared you, my darlings," she murmured, hugging them both close again with one arm before looking up at Fiyero. "What of Avaric?" she asked. "And… and Duran?"

Fiyero sighed. "They're both dead," he said, confirming what she'd deep down already known. "Duran's funeral will be sometime after the weekend. I've talked to the police and they'll want your statement, once you're feeling better, but they already said it seems like a pretty clear-cut case, so there shouldn't be too much hassle involved in that."

She nodded. "How many people know what happened?" she asked. "I mean, I'd hate for Nessa and Gazilon to worry about me when there's not much they can do and…" She trailed off when she saw the sheepish look Fiyero and Oscar exchanged. "What?"

"Elphaba, you're the deputy mayor," her father reminded her gently. "You're a public figure."

She moaned and let her head fall back against the pillow. "The press found out?!"

"It was hard for them not to," Oscar pointed out. "It's all over the news, on the front page of every paper and the main topic of conversation on every TV channel. _Deputy Mayor Elphaba Thropp trapped in fire and shot at gala in Quadling Country_. Galinda is handling your friends and Nessa, though. She promised she'd do her best to reassure them."

"She said she'd be coming today," Xalo told his mother, beaming at her. "Auntie Galinda, I mean. She wanted to see you, so she and Uncle Cohvu are coming as soon as Grandpa or Fiyero calls them to say you're okay."

Elphaba exhaled slowly. "Panic all over the place, then."

"I'll handle it," Oscar promised her. "You shouldn't concern yourself with such things right now. Just focus on recovering, all right?"

Blanca returned to the room and smiled at Elphaba. "I spoke with your doctor," she said. "You'll have to undergo a couple more tests this afternoon and you're definitely staying until after the weekend; but if the test results are good and your check-up on Monday morning doesn't show anything strange, you'll be able to go home then."

Elphaba heaved a deep sigh, then winced at the pain in her ribcage. Blanca noticed and gently ushered the visitors out of the room. "Let's not crowd your mum too much," she told Fawn and Xalo. "How about this: we let her rest for a bit, I'll show you the big kids' playroom, and then after the doctor has spoken to your mum about the tests she'll have to do this afternoon, you can come back and stay a bit longer. How's that?"

Fawn and Xalo's eyes had lit up. "There's a big playroom?" Xalo asked excitedly and Blanca laughed.

"You bet there is! Come on, I'll take you there!"

Oscar smiled. "I'll come with you." He squeezed Elphaba's hand. "I love you, you know."

She gave him a faint smile. "I love you, too, Dad. And sorry for scaring you, too."

He made a face. "I suppose all daughters are supposed to give their fathers premature grey hairs," he said and Elphaba chortled slightly at that, casting a meaningful glance at Oscar's head of almost entirely grey hair.

"It's not quite premature in your case, Dad," she teased and he laughed.

"Touché."

They left, but Fiyero lingered, wanting to talk to Elphaba but unsure if he should just yet. Maybe he should wait until she'd recovered a bit more…

As always, however, she saw straight through him and she patted the bed. "Come here."

He obeyed, sitting down in the chair beside her bed, and she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"How do you _do_ that?" he marvelled, but she just smiled.

"I know you," she said. "Spit it out."

He shrugged. "Just… you know." He didn't know how to explain it to her – how he had felt about her being shot, the guilt, the despair he'd felt upon realising she might not make it. It turned out he didn't have to, though, because her gaze softened and she took his hand.

"I do," she said.

He looked at her and she gave him a little smile. "And I love you, too."

That did it. He burst into tears like a little kid, laying his arms on the side of the bed and burying his face in them as he cried. Elphaba ran her fingers through his hair, not really surprised by this. She'd seen it in his face the moment he entered the room and as she'd said, she knew him. Fawn and Xalo, and even Oscar, would have cried and dealt with their feelings. Fiyero would have pushed them away in order to be there for everyone else.

"It's okay," she murmured. "I'm okay. You saved my life, Yero."

"I almost got you killed!" he protested between sniffles. "You caught a _bullet_ for me, Fae! Why did you do that? I was supposed to protect _you_ , not the other way around!"

She rolled her eyes. "What, this is some manly complex about not wanting to be saved by a girl?" she asked and he raised his head long enough to glare at her through red-rimmed eyes.

"No," he choked out indignantly. "This is the complex of the bodyguard who was supposed to die for his client and the woman he loves and who had to watch that woman almost dying for _him_ now."

She shook her head slightly. "Oh, Yero… that's exactly why I did it, don't you see? Because I love you, and I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt – or worse. I'm sorry, I should have realised that you wouldn't like the thought of _me_ getting hurt any more than the other way around, but there wasn't exactly much time to think." She touched his face. "And besides, you got me out and you and the twins saved my life. I'm safe now. Everything's all right."

He nodded half-heartedly, wiping his tears away. She opened her mouth to say something else, but just then, a man in a white coat came in and smiled at them both.

"Hello," he said, holding out his hand to Fiyero. "I'm Laroy Irding, Miss Thropp's doctor."

Fiyero cleared his throat, straightening up. "Fiyero Tiggular, her boyfriend," he introduced himself and the doctor nodded before looking back at Elphaba.

"The surgery was a success," he informed her, "but there are still a few more things I need to check. I want to make sure there is no internal bleeding left, for one. Also, during the surgery, I couldn't make sure the bullet didn't fracture your rib, so I'll check for that, too, just to be sure. Don't worry," he added when he saw Elphaba's face fall. "It wouldn't be too serious if that were the case, but we do need to know. I don't expect there to be any complications; I'm just being cautious."

She nodded and Fiyero, holding her hand tightly, asked, "What kind of tests do you need to do?"

"Nothing much," Dr Irding said. "I want to do a blood test to rule out any infections from the bullet and I want to do a CT scan to look for internal bleeding and fractures."

Fiyero didn't miss the way Elphaba tensed at that. Apparently, Dr Irding didn't, either, because he smiled reassuringly at her. "It's a short procedure, Miss Thropp, and there is no pain involved, not to worry."

"That's not it," Fiyero said before Elphaba could say anything. "She's claustrophobic."

She gave him a look, obviously not liking him spilling her 'secret'; but she also looked resigned, which told him she knew the doctor should know.

Dr Irding's face softened. "I understand why the idea of a CT scan would seem frightening to you, Miss Thropp, but it is really a fairly quick and simple procedure. It's not like an MRI scan, which can take up to forty-five minutes," he explained. "This scan will be over within five to ten minutes and there will be much more space around you while it is happening. You wouldn't even really be _in_ the machine; you can compare it to being pushed through the hole in a doughnut. You'll be fine."

Elphaba nodded stiffly.

The doctor nodded, too, satisfied, and excused himself. "A nurse will come and get you for the scan in a couple of hours," he told her and then left the room. He clearly thought he'd completely reassured Elphaba and taken away her fears, but just one look at her face told Fiyero that this was going to be quite the challenge for her and he turned out to be right.

She was mostly calm in the hours leading up to the test. Fiyero talked to her for a while longer and she explained everything that had happened at the castle in detail, including the things he'd missed – mainly Duran's confessions. After that, he left her alone so she could rest a little and after a while, Fawn and Xalo came back in to see her, Oscar tagging along. He informed her that Galinda and Cohvu would be arriving late that same afternoon. Blanca helped her eat something light and then they left her to rest again until her CT scan.

Oscar had taken the twins down to the hotel to meet Cohvu and Galinda there and to bring them up to date on everything before taking them to see Elphaba, so Fiyero was alone in the waiting room when Blanca came to get him, her face for once not sunny, but worried.

"Mr Tiggular," she said the moment she was within hearing distance. "We need you."

He was slightly startled at that. "What?" he asked, but he was already on his feet and following Blanca. When they arrived in the examination room where the CT scan was, he understood why the nurse had come to get him.

The technologist who had to administer the test looked completely baffled as he stood on one end of the room, next to the machine. Elphaba was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, obviously in pain, but her panic was greater than her pain. Fiyero instantly recognised the look on her face. She looked like she was on the verge of hissing at the technologist.

"Miss Thropp," the technologist said patiently, "it is really only a short procedure –"

"No," she snapped, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms like a stubborn child. "I'm _not_ getting into that thing."

Fiyero recognised the look in her eyes and nodded at Blanca that he understood. The nurse gestured for him to go further into the room and he did, calling, "Fae?"

Her head swivelled around and she curled into herself a little bit more, her eyes flicking between him and the machine behind him.

He sighed and moved over to her, gathering her in his arms. "I was afraid you'd react like this," he muttered. "Fae, I understand you're scared, but they have to do this test to make sure nothing's permanently damaged."

She didn't say anything, just buried her face in his shoulder.

Blanca knelt down beside the two of them, placing one hand on Elphaba's shoulder. "Listen to me, Elphaba," she said gently, forsaking the honorific, and she patiently and elaborately explained the entire procedure once more, describing everything that would happen in great detail.

By the time she finished, Elphaba had stopped trembling and Fiyero pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. "Will you be all right?"

She nodded, albeit reluctantly, and Fiyero gently helped her over to the machine. As they approached it, he felt her tense again and he made a decision. "Don't worry," he said to her. "I'll stay with you."

"Mr Tiggular," the technologist began. "Due to the X-radiation, it's not common for other people to be allowed –"

"I don't care," Fiyero interrupted. "I'm staying with her."

The technologist sighed. "Mr Tiggular, even if we were to allow someone to stay with her, a family member would be more –"

"You have eyes, right?" Fiyero asked, a little sharper than he had intended. "You can see she's terrified? She's claustrophobic and she almost _died_ after being locked in a small space not two days ago. I'm staying with her."

The technologist, looking dumbfounded, opened his mouth again; but Blanca spoke first. "That's fine, Mr Tiggular," she said, smiling reassuringly, before turning to the technologist. "Really, Norbert, it's not that much of a problem. Let it go."

The technologist, Norbert, closed his mouth again and didn't argue further.

Elphaba was good at hiding her emotions, but for Fiyero, who'd come to know her well, the relief was clear in her face and he ran his hand over her hair. "You'll be fine," he said quietly to her. "Just breathe. It'll be over before you know it."

She took a slow, careful breath, mindful of the bullet wound between her ribs, and then let it out again. She nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime." He bent down to kiss her softly on the lips, then moved away from her and looked at Blanca. "Can't you give her a sedative, or something?" he asked her quietly.

"We did," she replied drily. "Elphaba's claustrophobia is rather more serious than our average patient's. I could have given her something stronger, but I thought it'd be better to have you talk to her so she'd get in voluntarily, rather than drug her."

Fiyero pressed his lips together and nodded. "It wasn't this bad before," he said. "I hope it'll pass again in a little while, but with what happened… Thanks for coming to get me."

"It was no trouble. I understand." Blanca placed a hand on his arm. "There's a good chance her fear will lessen again in time, don't worry. You can stand right there," she changed the subject, pointing him to a spot, "so Elphaba will be able to see you most of the time. Put this on against the radiation." She gave him something that looked like a lead apron.

"Now, Elphaba," Blanca said, raising her voice a little so the young witch could hear her, "Norbert and I will do the scan, which really won't last very long. Fiyero, you can talk to her, if you'd like; as long as you, Elphaba, make sure to keep still. There'll be some buzzing and clicking sounds, but you should be able to at the very least hear his voice. Just focus on that, okay?"

"Okay," Elphaba said quietly and Blanca smiled at Fiyero.

"It'll be all right," she promised. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Elphaba muttered and the blonde nurse left to join Norbert in the adjoining room, from where they'd be administering the test.

"Hey, Fae," Fiyero said cheerfully as the whirring sounds of the machine started, determined to distract her to the best of his abilities while she was in there. "Did I ever tell you about that time my little brother got a hamster for his birthday and I set it loose in the living room during his birthday party?"

* * *

 **I've been really busy lately, and really stressed, and very emotionally unstable, so reviews would cheer me up... *puppy eyes***


	35. Stay

**Getting there, but Fiyeraba still has some hurdles to go! Glad you're still liking it. :)**

 **And thank you all for being so sweet - especially Emerald Minded Fictionist, whose review, thanks to my emotional state at the time, actually made me cry. :3**

* * *

 **35\. Stay**

Regardless of how much Elphaba loved Galinda and how happy she'd been to see her friend, she had to admit that she was glad the blonde had left again. Galinda was wonderful, but she was _exhausting_.

The PA, of course highly emotional not just because of what had happened to her best friend but also because of hormones, had been blubbering for literally an hour about how happy she was Elphaba was alive and how scared she'd been and was Elphaba really feeling okay and what had really happened and how were the twins coping and how was Elphaba herself coping and when would she be home again? Cohvu had tried to restrain his fiancée a little, but there'd been no stopping her. The twins, who had been sitting in a corner of the room playing, had giggled quietly at their aunt and even Oscar had been amused.

Galinda and Cohvu had eventually left for the hotel and Oscar, Fiyero, Fawn, and Xalo had gone with them. The twins had each given their mother a hug and a big kiss and Xalo had said earnestly, "I'm really glad you're all right, Mum."

She'd smiled and hugged him again. "So am I, my little monkey."

"It's over now, right?" Fawn had asked. "No-one will be trying to kill you anymore?"

Her heart broke at that and she'd pulled her daughter closer, meeting her gaze. "No, sweetie," she'd said quietly, stroking Fawn's cheek and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "No-one will be trying to kill me anymore. We're all safe now, okay?"

The little green girl had nodded. "Okay."

Now, Elphaba was alone once more and feeling a little lonely. Blanca had gone home for the night and although the night nurse was there in case Elphaba needed anything, she wasn't nearly as nice as the curly-haired nurse had been. When her room had still been filled with people, she'd wished for some peace and quiet; but now that everyone had left at once, the hospital room felt a little _too_ quiet.

She read for a while and then decided to try to get some sleep. She really did hope she'd be allowed to go home on Monday; she didn't think she'd hold up very well if she had to stay here even longer. She had always hated hospitals, but now that feeling was worse than ever. She glanced at the closed door to her relatively small hospital room and tried to suppress the tight feeling of panic in her chest.

It's just a door, she told herself sternly. You're in a hospital, your stalker is gone, and no-one is going to hurt you now. You're safe. You'll be fine. You can handle a closed door.

She did fall asleep eventually, but it was a fitful sleep and she dreamt of guns, blood, and fire, with some small spaces with heavy closed doors mixed in for good measure. She startled awake and she had to blink a few times before she realised she was not still dreaming.

Sitting in the chair beside her, asleep with his arms on the edge of her mattress and his head on his arms, was Fiyero.

She must have jerked around in her sleep, because he was just stirring, yawning as his eyes opened. When he saw her looking at him, he smiled drowsily. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" she whispered and he shrugged.

"I hated the thought of you being here alone, you know, after what happened this afternoon," he said. "I wanted to make sure you were all right, so I sneaked in when the nurse at the nurses' station wasn't looking and I decided to stay until someone would come check up on you and kicked me out."

Tears pricked her eyes at that, but she blinked them away and instead took his hand and gave it a grateful squeeze. "Thank you."

They fell asleep like that not much later, their fingers still entwined, only to both be woken up when a machine beside Elphaba's bed started beeping and the night nurse came in to change one of the fluid bags on her IV. When she saw Fiyero, she paused, scowling.

"Excuse me, Mr Tiggular," she said sharply. "Visiting hours were over a long time ago. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He and Elphaba both giggled a little, like teenagers being caught kissing in the back of the classroom, and Fiyero gently kissed her before pulling away.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he promised and she smiled.

"Looking forward to it," she murmured, already half asleep again. Fiyero chuckled and left before the night nurse would get _really_ irritated.

* * *

Nothing much happened the next day. Elphaba slept a lot, ate a little, and was glad with all her visitors to distract her. Blanca didn't really mind them coming by outside of visiting hours and so they all took turns keeping her company. Cohvu and Galinda had brought her some of her own things from home – mainly books and clothes – and Elphaba gratefully accepted them. It felt so much better to be able to change into a pair of her own pyjama trousers with a T-shirt, rather than that horrible hospital gown. She spent some time reading and talked to Cohvu and Galinda about all kinds of things – mainly her friends' pregnancy and their wedding plans. She could use a cheerful topic of conversation and once Cohvu and Galinda realised that, they were all too happy to oblige and share all their plans and ideas with their friend.

The twins spent most of the morning playing in Elphaba's room, but that afternoon, Cohvu and Galinda took them out into a nearby city for some sightseeing and dinner. Elphaba thought that was a good idea. It was bad enough she had to be cooped up inside this hospital room all the time; there was no reason Fawn and Xalo had to, and some fresh air and a change of scenery would be good for them. They were accompanied by a couple of security guards, even though that wasn't really necessary anymore. Fiyero felt it was safer that way; he'd review all security measures with Elphaba's head of security once they were all back at the Palace and then they'd see if they could bring down the amount of security again now that Avaric and Duran no longer posed a threat.

Elphaba mourned Duran, regardless of the things he'd done. His ways of trying to get her attention had been twisted, but they'd come from a combination of love and despair and she could understand his reasoning. Despite everything, he'd still been her friend for a long time. He hadn't deserved to die like this. She was glad she'd at least be able to attend his funeral that Wednesday morning in the Emerald City – most likely, anyway, since Blanca had already cheerfully informed her that her test results had looked great, no sign of fractures or internal bleeding, and that Dr Irding expected her release the following day would not be a problem.

Oscar had spent a couple of hours playing board games with Elphaba and his grandchildren, and after that just with Elphaba, but he'd gone down to the hospital cafeteria for a while now to get something to eat. Fiyero had come back into Elphaba's room instead. She'd been reading when he came in and he'd just sat down and picked up a book of his own, not wanting to disturb her when she was enjoying some peace and quiet. She appreciated that more than she could say and despite the fact that they didn't speak and each did their own thing, she was grateful for his company.

She put her book away after a while and asked a question she'd been wanting to ask him for a while now, but she was a little afraid to hear the answer. "How are the twins holding up? Really?"

Fiyero exhaled slowly, putting his own book aside as well. "Good," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I mean… of course they've been sad, and scared, and upset, but they're doing pretty well, I think. Fawn had a nightmare the second night, but between me and Xalo, we managed to calm her down."

Elphaba smiled a little. "She likes you," she whispered. "They both do."

"Yes, well, I'm very likeable," Fiyero said with a straight face, which made her chuckle softly.

"You are." She looked at him. "But something's still troubling you and I can't figure out what it is, but I have a feeling it's something big." She sounded sad. "You're not going to stay with us, are you? Now that this is over."

He was always amazed at her ability to read him. He'd thought he'd been hiding his feelings well. "Fae…"

"Please stay," she said quietly. "I mean… I'd really like for you to stay. The twins would, too. We all would."

He shook his head. "My job here is done, Fae," he said gently. "It's time for me to move on."

She shook her head, too. "Just because the danger is gone now, doesn't mean we don't need you anymore."

He was quiet for a moment. He really did want to stay; that wasn't the problem. He'd love to stay at the Palace with Elphaba and her family, see where things went with their relationship. With just a bit of wishful thinking, he could see himself marrying her sometime a little down the line, maybe having another baby with her. He could see himself as Fawn and Xalo's father and Oscar's son-in-law. He'd find a different job, maybe just in security at the Palace so he'd always be close by. He could see them being happy.

Except he could never make her happy.

"Elphaba, listen," he said, heaving a deep sigh. "I just… I can't stay. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't want to put you in danger. Any of you."

She frowned. "Fiyero, you _saved_ us from the danger, remember?"

He shook his head in frustration. "No, I didn't. I only put you in more danger, can't you see that? If Avaric hadn't seen you and me together, he wouldn't have planted that bomb and Fawn and Xalo would never have gotten hurt. If I'd just paid attention and done my job, you wouldn't have been shot, _or_ trapped in that fire. I'm not good for you!"

She was staring at him as if he had turned into a different person, someone she didn't know at all. It unnerved him.

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she said finally and she actually sounded a little angry. "What kind of reasoning is that? None of that was your fault, Fiyero!"

"But it was!" He ran both his hands through his hair this time, frustration radiating off him. "Look at what almost happened because of me! Because you chose me!"

"I didn't get shot because I chose you," she argued fiercely. "I got shot because I _didn't_ choose _him_."

He looked at her helplessly.

" _And_ because Avaric was a psychotic maniac," she added, her dark eyes on fire. "If that's your reasoning, Fiyero, then I'd never be able to come near any man again because someone might be out there feeling jealous and wanting to come after me? Really? You can see how twisted that logic is, right?"

He bit his lip and she grasped both his hands, squeezing them tightly. "Don't leave," she almost begged him. "Especially not for a reason that stupid. I can understand if you're not sure how you feel about our relationship, about making this a long-term thing. That's fine. We can just see how it goes, we don't have to rush into anything – as you said before our first date, it's not a wedding. I do love you, and if you don't feel the same way I want you to tell me right now; but if you do, then I don't see any reason why you wouldn't stay with us for another while. If only to see if things could go somewhere between us."

He was quiet for another while, thinking about that, and he looked at her. He could see she was trying to be strong, but he also saw how much his answer meant to her and he softened. How could he ever say no to her? "I do love you, Fae," he murmured, lowering his gaze. "A lot. I just feel guilty."

"Well, don't," she said firmly. "You have nothing to feel guilty about."

He nodded, even though he wasn't really convinced of that. "It's not just that, though. I just…" He sighed. "I need some time. Is that okay? I mean… I'll stay with you guys, if you're sure you want me to…"

"Of course I'm sure."

He nodded. "But I do need to think about this. I want to stay, Fae, I do, but there are a lot of factors that play a role in that decision. More than you know."

"Then tell me," she said, but he shook his head.

"Not now," he said. "We'll see how things go, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're such an idiot. Come here." She pulled him closer and kissed him. Not a soft, chaste kiss like the ones they'd shared since she'd come out of surgery; this kiss was passionate, almost hungry, and she clung to him like she was never going to let him go again. She allowed him to deepen the kiss and he half-crawled onto the bed with her in order to have better access to her lips.

The sound of a throat being cleared behind them made them jump apart and they both turned guilty eyes on Blanca, who was standing in the doorway, looking amused.

"This reminds me," she said drily. "I forgot to warn you about something, Elphaba. At the very least for the next week or two, it's not a good idea for you to jostle your stitches." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully. Fiyero took a step away from the bed and rubbed his neck, looking away awkwardly. Elphaba could feel herself flush dark purple.

Blanca just grinned at them and busied herself checking Elphaba's IV and the chart hanging from the end of her bed. She nodded, clearly satisfied. "Dr Irding will have another look at you tomorrow," she told the green woman, "but I don't expect there to be any problems." She smiled. "Prepare to go home, Elphaba."

Home. Elphaba forgot her embarrassment for a moment; she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. It felt like she'd been here in this white hospital room for _months_ already. She wanted nothing more than to go home.

Blanca left and Fiyero tentatively sat back down in the chair beside the bed, clearing his throat. "So, um… no jostling your stitches for a while, I guess," he said and Elphaba looked at him, taking in the mildly disappointed look on his face and the fact that his cheeks were still quite a bit darker than usual, and burst into giggles.


	36. Processing

**Here's a nicer one, to tie up some loose ends.**

 **I still really appreciate all the reviews and all the nice things you have to say. You're all so sweet! *hands out virtual muffins***

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 **36\. Processing**

"Are you sure you're okay, Elphaba?" Oscar asked from the back seat.

Elphaba exhaled audibly through her nose. "The next person to ask me that is going to find himself magically missing a limb."

Fiyero, in the driver's seat beside her, chuckled. "We're just worried about you, Fae. That's all."

"Well, don't be," she said. "I'm fine. I survived cars with the windows closed," she reminded them. "A car with the window open isn't that much of a challenge for me anymore."

Fiyero exchanged a look with Oscar via the rear-view mirror. They both knew Elphaba's claustrophobia had gotten worse after what happened with Avaric and Duran on the night of the gala, but she seemed to be getting back to her old self now, for which they were all grateful. As they drove home, with Fawn, Xalo, and Oscar playing games on the back seat and Elphaba and Fiyero sitting together in the front, it almost felt like nothing was wrong. Like a family vacation, Fiyero couldn't help but think.

Beside him, Elphaba was looking out of the window, appearing to be lost in thought, and he reached out to lay his hand on her knee and squeeze softly. "Hey. What's wrong?"

She shook her head slightly. "Nothing." She turned her head to smile at him a little wryly. "It just feels weird that no-one is trying to kill me or someone I love. It takes some getting used to, that's all."

Fiyero scowled at her and she chuckled. "I mean it. I do feel like I have to get used to not being followed around by guards all the time, being able to walk or drive with the window open again…"

"I know." He sighed. "As wrong and twisted as that is, I do know what you mean."

She smiled faintly. "I'm sure everything will be back to normal in no time, though." She looked out of the window again. "And it's good to be going home again. I can't wait to take a nice, long shower and wash that terrible hospital smell off me."

Fiyero glanced at her. "You can't shower on your own yet," he said and she gave him a mischievous grin.

"Then maybe I could try to find someone willing to help me?" she said innocently. He flushed, which caused her grin to widen. She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry, Yero. I have a shower and bathtub combo," she reminded him. "I am allowed to sit in the bath by myself, aren't I? I'm not going to skip baths and showers for the next couple of days, so if you refuse to let me bathe by myself, you'll just have to join me." She fluttered her eyelashes at him mockingly.

He sighed, forcing his attention back on the road rather than her. "You're a terrible person, you know that?"

She cackled. "Prude."

"Tease."

"Guilty as charged."

That made him smile and he reached over again to take her hand, lacing their fingers together. She smiled, too, and scooted over a little so she could rest her head on his shoulder, just like she'd done on their way back from Munchkinland a couple of weeks ago. Back then, she'd been tense and he'd been able to sense her fear like it was a tangible thing. Now, she seemed much more relaxed and she actually drifted off to sleep after a while, her breathing evening out. He supposed her physical state was still far from ideal and she needed the rest, but he was also glad her emotional state was good enough for her to be able to relax even though she was confined to the car. Maybe the things Avaric and Duran had done to her wouldn't have a long-term effect on her after all.

* * *

All joking aside, Elphaba was far from amused to find that she actually did need help with everything – including taking a shower. She was happy to be home, but there were still a lot of things she couldn't do. She could only sit up for short periods of time before she started feeling breathless, her wound throbbing, and she had to lay back down again. She was able to slowly shuffle to the bathroom and back, but she couldn't even make it out of her rooms and she couldn't stand up longer than a couple of minutes at most. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Of course, everyone was wonderful about it. Every afternoon after their lessons, Fawn and Xalo brought their toys, books, and games into her room to keep her company. Oscar popped in a few times a day to ask how she was doing and to update her on anything work-related that was going on. Galinda was there a lot, too, chattering about all kinds of things; and Cohvu usually came with the twins once their lessons for the day were over to see how Elphaba was and if she needed anything, which resulted in him making more than one trip to the Palace library for her because she was bored out of her mind. It got so bad she even found herself watching bad reality TV, which was something she'd _never_ done before (Galinda, however, was quite happy with that development and often settled down next to Elphaba to watch those shows with her friend).

Fiyero was the only one she allowed to see her at her weakest, however. On the evening she'd first come home, she'd announced that she was going to take a long, hot bath, at which Oscar had instantly shaken his head.

"You're not allowed to," he reminded her. "Your stitches are only allowed to get wet for short periods of time, remember? No soaking."

She'd scowled at him. "Then I'll make it a short bath and make sure my stitches aren't submerged," she amended.

"It'd really be better if you'd just take a shower," Oscar had insisted and she'd thrown her hands up in frustration.

"Fine! Then I'll just go and take a shower!" She glared at her father. "The point is, I'm going to wash up and I'm going to do it by myself, okay? If I need anything, I'll call."

"You'll call from the shower?" Oscar asked pointedly, but she'd just shot him another icy glare and pushed herself out of bed, carefully making her way over to the bathroom. Oscar had shaken his head and left the room, but not before catching Fiyero's shoulder and murmuring into the younger man's ear, "Will you stay nearby, just in case?"

Fiyero nodded and Oscar patted his shoulder before leaving the room.

Elphaba had managed to get herself to the bathroom, undress, and carefully sit down on the edge of the bathtub. She'd eased herself down into it, turning on the shower to let the spray wash over her without actually soaking her stitches. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling for a little while. For the first minute or so, it had been nice. Then she'd started feeling tired, her wound growing painful, and she'd turned off the water and tried to get up and out of the tub, only to realise she was too weak to do so.

Her pride had refused to let her call out for help, so instead she'd stayed put without saying anything, trying a few more times to get up by herself; until, after a few minutes, Fiyero had knocked on the door and asked if she was okay. She'd only been able to whimper a breathless and unconvincing, "Fine," which, of course, he hadn't fallen for; he'd told her he was coming in and when he'd seen her sitting there, he'd wrapped her up in a thick towel and easily lifted her out of the bath and back to her bedroom. He'd helped her change into a clean pair of pyjamas and dried and brushed her hair for her, all without saying a word. Her initial mortification had faded when he'd finally caught her chin to make her look at him and said earnestly, "You need to allow the people who love you to help you, Fae. You don't have to do it all by yourself."

Those words had somehow ended up putting him on shower duty, even though he insisted he didn't mind in the slightest. She'd swallowed her pride and allowed him to help her, but she still couldn't wait to be able to do such things on her own again.

Her meals were all brought up to her and someone always stayed up to eat with her in order to make her feel less lonely. She really did hate being a nuisance, but she couldn't deny she was grateful for the company.

Before she'd left the hospital, her statement had been taken by the police and Fiyero thought it'd all be over now, since Duran and Avaric were both gone. Duran's funeral was on Wednesday and Elphaba, Fiyero, Galinda, Cohvu, Oscar, Fawn, Xalo, and Gazilon all went together. Thankfully, Elphaba could sit during most of the service and even though she felt extremely sore and tired afterwards – both inside and out – she was glad that she'd been able to go. Despite the things he'd done, Duran had been her friend and his death had been horrible. She wanted this chance to say good-bye to him.

Gazilon returned to the Palace with them afterwards and everyone was quiet. Elphaba, drawn and aching, had to lie down for a little while, but refused to go to her room; instead she curled up on the couch in their living room with a blanket pulled over her. Everyone else settled down around her, save for Fawn and Xalo who were picked up by Harron to bake biscuits together in the kitchen as a distraction, and no-one said anything for a little while.

Gazilon was the one who broke the silence. "I can't believe he really did those things." He shook his head. "I can't believe he's gone."

"Me, neither," Cohvu admitted. "I never thought it'd be him. Even when evidence pointed at it…"

"We didn't want to believe it," Galinda said logically. "And he didn't do it because he was a bad person. He wasn't mean or evil. Just desperate and not thinking straight."

"He just loved me," said Elphaba quietly, her gaze lowered. She glanced up at Galinda, who seemed to understand what her friend was saying, because she frowned and moved from her chair to crouch down beside Elphaba.

"Elphie," she said firmly, "you're not going to start that whole 'no-one-can-love-me-because-I'm-cursed'-thing."

"I don't believe I'm _literally_ cursed," Elphaba argued weakly. "But still, Galinda. Look at my life. My mother died, my sister is crippled, Frex's life is ruined. Fawn and Xalo were burnt, Fiyero got stabbed _and_ burnt – twice – and Duran is dead. Is it really that hard for you to see the common factor linking all those things?"

"You're _not_ cursed," Galinda insisted. "That's stupid, Elphaba. None of those things were your fault. Your mum, Nessa, and Frex – that was all Frex's doing, if you ask me. As for the twins, Fiyero, and Duran – that was Avaric. Not you. Now stop this nonsense. We've been over this plenty of times back at Shiz and I understand that you're confused and scared and hurt right now, Elphie, but you know better. You're not an insecure schoolgirl anymore. You have a brain. Use it. Besides, you can't go around telling Fiyero that you getting hurt wasn't his fault when _you_ insist on taking the blame for every bad thing that has ever happened to anyone in your life. It's hypocritical and I know you're not a hypocrite. Snap out of it."

Elphaba fell silent and Galinda hugged her. "I'm sorry for being so stern with you, Elphie, but I can't stand to hear you talk like this."

"I know," Elphaba whispered. "And I know, on a rational level, that you're right. It's just hard to feel it that way sometimes."

"You shouldn't be feeling anything right now," said Galinda. "For Oz's sake, in your current emotional state, you'd be able to convince yourself that the Great War between Oz and Quox two hundred years ago was somehow your fault."

Elphaba smiled wryly, knowing her friend was right, and Galinda giggled at her. "You should rest, Elphie."

"I'll take you upstairs," Fiyero offered quietly. She nodded and he scooped her up in his arms, blanket and all, carrying her to her own rooms. She knew he had to want to ask questions about what Galinda had said, but he didn't. It made her heart swell with love for him. He knew her well.

"It's what my father always told me," she said suddenly. He looked down at her and she clarified, "That I'm cursed. An abomination who only brings pain to the people around her." She figured if he was kind and thoughtful enough to not ask the questions, she owed him the answers. He deserved that much from her.

He stared at her, clearly horrified, and she quickly added, "Frex, obviously, not Oscar. Oscar is great. But…" She shrugged. "It's something Galinda and my other friends tried to get out of my system back at Shiz," she said, letting out a wry chuckle, "but it's also something that keeps popping into my head every time something bad happens. It's like I told Galinda – I _know_ it's not true and it isn't right, but I can't help it. It's been drilled into me ever since I was a little girl."

Fiyero gently placed her down on the bed and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms. She curled into him and he held her for a while without saying anything.

"It's been a rough couple of months for you," he said after a while, nuzzling her hair. "I just hope that that's the main reason why you would think such things and that you don't actually believe them all the time."

She shook her head against his chest. "I don't," she assured him. "Not anymore. Most of the time, I'm fine. It's only when I get emotional or, like I said, bad things happen, that I start to think like that again."

"I can understand that." He pulled away, the look on his face more serious than she'd ever seen it before. "And I won't give you the full speech, because Galinda just did that and I get the feeling she's been doing that for years already," he added, which made Elphaba chuckle slightly because it was true. "But I do feel like I need to tell you that none of those things were your fault and that you're not cursed. You're not an abomination – far from it. You… You're amazing."

She kissed him, her arms sliding around his neck. When they pulled apart again, she leaned her head back against his chest and murmured, "I love you."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you, too, Fae. Now get some rest," he said gently, helping her lie down. "You need it, especially after such an emotional morning."

She nodded, because she knew he was right. She'd like to stay downstairs and talk more about Duran with her friends, not just his funeral or what he'd done but just who he was, the kind of friend he'd been; but she needed the rest. Besides, Gazilon would be staying for a while, having cleared his entire schedule until after the weekend, so they'd have time to talk later.

She slept a lot, which she also hated, but all the rest paid off; soon she was feeling stronger again and on Sunday evening, when she was talking to Galinda and Gazilon came up to tell the girls that dinner would be brought to her soon, she shook her head.

"I'll come with you," she said.

Both her friends stared at her as if she had grown an extra head.

Galinda, of course, was the first to speak. "Excuse me – what?!" she demanded and Elphaba rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"I'm feeling a lot better," she pointed out. "I think I can make it down the hallway." She'd prefer to try it by herself, but she knew neither of them would allow her to and she also knew that probably wouldn't be a good idea, anyway. That was why she looked at Gazilon and added, "If you'd be willing to help me, anyway."

His face softened and he nodded. "Of course, El. If you really think you're up for it…"

She nodded and he moved over to the side of the bed. Elphaba eased herself into a sitting position and scooted over to the edge of the bed, letting her feet hit the floor. She'd been sitting up more often over the past couple of days, so that wasn't really the hard part. With Gazilon's support, she managed to get to her feet, but then she glanced down at herself and made a face. "Let me get changed first."

Galinda giggled. "Isn't that my line?"

Her friend grinned in reply and Gazilon said worriedly, "I think that'd be a bit too much for one evening, don't you?"

"Gaz," she said pointedly. "I'm not going to the dining hall in my pyjamas. Even if it'd just be jogging trousers or something, anything is better than this."

Gazilon heaved a sigh, but Galinda was already on her way to Elphaba's wardrobe, quickly leafing through it before pulling out a pair of black jogging trousers and a loose, light grey top. Gazilon left the room for a moment to give Elphaba her privacy and the green woman grudgingly allowed Galinda to help her change. When she was finished, she felt a little bit more like herself and she ran her fingers through her tangled hair, grimacing before snatching an elastic band from the nightstand and quickly piling the ebony tresses on top of her head in a messy bun.

"Are you ready for dinner now, Your Highness?" Galinda asked innocently and Elphaba stuck out her tongue before starting to move in the direction of the door.

With Galinda and Gazilon's support, she made it to the dining room, greeting everyone else casually as she shuffled over to her seat and lowered herself into it. Cohvu and Oscar were both staring at her. The twins grinned widely.

"Hi, Mum," Xalo said happily and Fawn leapt up from her seat to give Elphaba a quick hug before sitting down again.

Elphaba smiled at them both. "Hey, darlings. It's good to be up again," she said. "What are we having for dinner?"

"Elphaba, are you sure –" Oscar began, but she gave him a look and he wisely decided to shut up. Galinda giggled at the look on his face.

Fiyero came in not much later and he, too, did a double-take when he saw Elphaba, but then he just smiled at her and took the seat next to her. "Hey, Fae. It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," she said, returning his smile.

There was still a lot for her to work through, she thought as she looked around at her friends and family, both physically and emotionally; but with all these wonderful people around her, for the first time she felt sure that everything really was going to be okay.


	37. Doubts

**Not really a surprise, probably, but still some drama!**

* * *

 **37\. Doubts**

Elphaba continued to improve over the next period of time and slowly but surely, a sense of normalcy was returning to the Palace. A little over a week after she'd returned from the hospital, she was able to walk up and down the stairs again – with someone's help – and from that moment on, she started working again for a couple of hours a day. Her employees all greeted her warmly, welcoming her back like she was some sort of war hero; and she awkwardly waved them away, relieved when they returned to their own work.

Gazilon returned home, but stayed in touch with her. She'd talked to her sister on video chat almost every day, too. Nessa had, indeed, been incredibly worried when Elphaba had been in the hospital and although Galinda had kept her updated on everything, she'd been glad to see her sister's own face. She'd offered to come over a couple of times, but Elphaba declined every time, claiming it was too busy for her, anyway, to have too many people around her, and she didn't want her sister to go through all the trouble. Since Frex still wouldn't allow Nessa anywhere near her sister if he could help it, she'd have to find someone with a car to drive her to the City and Elphaba insisted it wasn't worth the hassle. Nessa had accepted that reluctantly, but she'd warned her sister that she'd find a way to come visit the moment Elphaba was feeling better.

Things in the Palace mostly went the way they'd gone before, but there was a sense of relief underneath it all, so strong that it was almost palpable. The stalker was gone. There were no more letters, no more notes, and no more threats. They were all still a little bit jumpy, but it was starting to sink in that they had nothing to be afraid of anymore and everyone was lighter and cheerier for it.

As Elphaba recovered, the focus of the people in the Palace started to shift from Elphaba's predicament and her stalker to Galinda's pregnancy and her and Cohvu's impending wedding. The green woman especially was glad to be thinking of happier things again and she helped her best friend plan her wedding (which mainly meant trying to talk Galinda out of her more exuberant ideas) and all kinds of things baby-related, from possible names to the colours of the nursery. The blonde was starting to show by now and incredibly proud of it, purposefully wearing tight tops and T-shirts to show off her small bump to everyone she came across.

On Saturday evening, a little over two weeks after the disastrous gala in Quadling Country, Fiyero entered Elphaba's bedroom to find her already sprawled on the bed. That in itself wasn't so strange. What _was_ strange, however, was the fact that she was wearing a black nightgown that was just a little shorter and sexier than anything she usually wore – not to mention the sultry smile she gave him when he entered.

"Hey," she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I was waiting for you."

He stared at her. Sure, he'd been sleeping in her room ever since she had returned from the hospital – none of her friends and family members had wanted her to be alone during the night – but he'd always made sure to stay on his side of the bed and to give her enough space. Somehow, he didn't think space was what she had in mind tonight.

At the confused look on his face, she smirked and sat up gingerly. "Okay, you can close your mouth now," she said. "Come here." She patted the bed beside her and he sat down, looking at her expectantly.

She took one of his hands in both her own. "I think you've treated me like I'm made of sugar long enough now," she said matter-of-factly. "I know you've been taking care of me and I know I had to be taken care of. I appreciate you doing that for me, Yero, you know that, but I can do almost everything by myself again by now and I need you to stop acting like I could fall apart at any given moment."

He looked sheepish now. "I was just trying to be careful."

"I know." She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "And I love you. But I don't want you to sleep on the other side of the bed anymore," she said, raising her eyebrows meaningfully.

He chuckled ruefully. "Trust me," he said. "I've had to keep myself from pulling you closer so many times, but I was afraid I'd hurt you."

"It's been two weeks," she pointed out and then she smiled impishly at him. "And you know what Blanca said. I think I'm allowed to jostle my stitches again," she teased and Fiyero flushed a little at the implications of that, but when she moved in to kiss him, he didn't object.

A little while later, he stretched out on his own side of the bed almost out of habit; but Elphaba tugged at him until he scooted over a little and put his arms around her, which made him chuckle. "Bossy, are we?"

"I'm the deputy mayor," she murmured against his chest, her eyes already closed. "The only one here in the City I can't boss around because he's higher in rank than I am is my dad."

He pressed a kiss to her hair. Deep down, though, her words stirred up some old insecurities and caused them to return to him full-force. She'd convinced him to stay for a while, taking away his guilt and telling him she loved him; but was that enough?

He'd always known he wasn't good enough for her. Ever since the very beginning. And even though she insisted he'd done his job well, he hadn't failed, she loved him, and he wasn't any less smart or worthy or important than she was… he knew those things weren't exactly true. He'd wondered for a while now what she saw in him. It had to be his good looks, because he didn't have much else going for him. What would people think about their relationship? They'd think her crazy for choosing someone like him. They would be right, too. She deserved so much better.

She mumbled something against his bare chest in her sleep, momentarily pulling him from his thoughts, and he looked down at her. Maybe it was selfish of him, but he didn't think he could bring himself to leave her, even if it would be for her own good. On the other hand, he also knew he loved her too much to saddle her with someone as useless as him, regardless of what she herself might think of him. Where did that leave him?

He thought of Xalo and his enthusiasm about Fiyero staying and perhaps becoming his father one day; and of Fawn, how much she was like her mother, and the way she'd cuddled up to him after her nightmare in the hotel in Quadling Country.

He had nothing to offer them, yet they all wanted them to stay. He couldn't imagine not being there for the twins' next birthday. The idea of not attending Cohvu and Galinda's wedding, or not seeing their baby once it was born, felt ridiculous. Somehow, along the way, he'd become a part of their family, so why did he still not feel like he belonged with them? Was that only his own insecurities holding him back or did it mean something more?

He eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep and when he awoke in the morning, he didn't feel much better. Elphaba, however, was already awake and watching him, an expression on her face he couldn't read.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. "You haven't slept well, have you?"

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he apologised and she shook her head.

"You did, a few times, but it's fine." She looked at him. "Did you have nightmares?"

He bit his lip. "Something like that."

She regarded him through narrowed eyes and he was a little afraid she'd be able to read his mind like that, so instead he distracted her by leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. Kissing proved to be a distraction she was quite willing to go along with, soon turning more heated, and so they didn't leave the bed until about an hour later. Fiyero's doubts, however, didn't disappear.

Over the course of the next few weeks, he tried to push those doubts away. He played with the twins, spent time with Oscar, Cohvu, and Galinda, and went on dates with Elphaba. She taught him to cook several other dishes and in return, he taught her some self-defence techniques – "Just in case," he said with a wry smile, which she returned. He had fun. He was happy. Yet deep down, there was always that nagging feeling of guilt, combined with that little voice in his head telling him he didn't belong here, he wasn't good enough for Elphaba and he never would be. He was only holding her back.

When he finally came to a decision, he ended up blurting it out over breakfast one day. "I'm leaving."

Oscar's fork clattered onto his plate. The twins stared at him. Elphaba didn't react at all; she only took another bit of scrambled eggs and said calmly, yet firmly, "No, you're not."

"I am," he countered, but she shook her head.

"I know what this is about, Fiyero, and it's ridiculous," she informed him flatly. "You're not leaving out of guilt. I won't let you. You have nothing to feel guilty about." She rose to her feet. "Are you done eating?" she asked the twins. "It's almost time for your lessons and you still need to get dressed."

Fawn and Xalo, however, did not move.

"Darlings," Elphaba said warningly. "Go upstairs and get dressed. You don't want to keep Uncle Cohvu waiting, do you?"

"But Fiyero…" Fawn started to protest.

"Fiyero will still be here when you get back," said Elphaba. "He's not going anywhere." She glanced at him. He stared back, unflinching, but she didn't yield, either.

The twins reluctantly left the room and Oscar subtly sneaked away as well, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero in the dining room together.

"You can't leave," she said.

He lifted his chin. "I can do whatever I want, Elphaba."

"You don't really want to, though, do you?" she asked him pointedly. "You feel like you have to. But that's nonsense. I _knew_ something was up with you lately, but I thought you were getting over it." She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "You can't leave, Fiyero," she said again, softer this time. "I don't want you to leave."

"It'd be better if I did," he muttered. "For you, and the twins… for everyone. You can do better than the guy who allowed you to get shot, Fae."

Her eyes flamed. "You didn't allow me to get shot – I caught that bullet for you out of my own free will. Don't patronise me. I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions."

"Still," he insisted. "My presence here hasn't done you or your family any good. Quite the opposite, in fact. Can't you see that? I can never be what you need."

"And who are you to decide what I need?" she demanded hotly. "You don't get to choose for me, Fiyero."

He rose to his feet. "Yes, I do," he said calmly. He'd made his decision, regardless of how much it might hurt him. It was better in the long run. He wanted Elphaba to be happy and she would never be happy with him – she was too smart and he too stupid for that. They were just too different. Sooner or later, their infatuation with each other would wear off and he'd start annoying her somehow, and then she'd resent him and he'd have to leave after all. It was better if he left now, before either of them got too attached and before she could grow to hate him.

"I'm leaving," he told her, "and that's the end of it." With that, he left the room.

* * *

Elphaba wasn't planning on letting him go, of course. At least not without a fight. For now, however, she decided to give him some space and so she went to work, figuring she'd talk to him in a few hours.

By mid-morning, she was starting to feel queasy and an hour later, she was miserably hunched over the toilet, retching. She was just about to get up again when Galinda knocked on the door and came in, smiling sympathetically.

"Food poisoning," she said. She held up her phone. "That Vinkun ambassador you had dinner with last night at _The Talk_ just called me to inform me he had food poisoning and he wanted to warn you, just in case. I already called the restaurant and they confirmed something went wrong. Lots of apologies, of course, but that doesn't really help you now." She shook her head. "Looks like you won't be working today, missy. Come on, off to bed with you."

"Can't," Elphaba croaked. "I have to talk to Fiyero."

Galinda raised her eyebrows. "Fiyero?"

Elphaba quickly explained the situation and Galinda softened. "I'll get him for you," she promised. "But you, Elphie, need to get to your bed." She paused as she helped Elphaba up. "Wait a clock-tick. Are you sure it's food poisoning?"

Elphaba blinked. "What else could it be?"

Galinda was beaming, eyes shining. "Morning sickness?"

"No," said Elphaba, watching her friend's face fall and rolling her eyes. "I just got my period last week, _and_ I'm on the pill. I'm not pregnant, Galinda. I'm being very careful not to get another kid unless I'm in an actual, serious, long-lasting relationship this time, thank you very much." Her face contorted. "Although… do you think that if I tell Fiyero I'm pregnant, he might stay?"

"Elphaba!" Galinda said in shock and the green woman sighed.

"I know." She chuckled bitterly. "I wouldn't really do that. It's just… I really thought I'd finally found my actual, serious, long-lasting relationship, you know?"

Galinda rubbed her back. "I know," she said soothingly, grimacing as Elphaba bent over to retch into the toilet once again. "I still think you have. He's just insecure, and he feels guilty because he was responsible for protecting you. He feels like he failed. I know that you know that feeling, too."

Elphaba barked a mirthless laugh as she wiped her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment. "I do. I thought I was supposed to be the insecure one in this relationship, though."

Galinda smiled. "You both can be. And that's okay. As long as you don't let it hold you back." She helped her friend back to her feet and out of the bathroom, up the stairs, and into her own room. She fetched Elphaba a bucket, then helped her change into a pair of pyjamas and tucked her into the bed, a glass of water on the nightstand. "Do you need anything else?"

Elphaba shook her head. "Just Fiyero," she muttered and Galinda's face softened.

"I'll go get him right away."

The bodyguard came into the room not long thereafter, sinking down into the chair beside her bed and taking her hand in his. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, her voice hoarse. "We need to talk."

He shook his head. "We can talk when you're feeling better," he began, but she waved him away.

"It's food poisoning," she reminded him. "I'm not dying. Not this time, anyway," she added, ignoring the pained look on his face at that. "I can talk." She looked at him pointedly. "You're not getting out of this so easily."

"Do you think this is easy for me?" he demanded. "Fae, it's the hardest thing I'll ever do in my life, I already know that, but I _have_ to. Don't you see?" he pleaded. "I can't bear you resenting me. I don't want you to hate me. I should leave now before we both end up getting hurt."

"Why are you so convinced this won't last?" she asked him. "What if we don't get hurt, Fiyero? What if we can make this work and be happy together?"

"We can't," he said, sounding as if he was stating a fact.

She glared at him, but then she had to quickly reach for her bucket so she could throw up into it again, which ruined the effect a little. Fiyero just rubbed her back and held back her hair without saying anything.

"Listen to me," he said quietly. "I love being with you, Elphaba. I love your entire family. But it's not _enough_. I don't belong here with you, and you… how could you ever choose me if the only other option you've known is a maniac who took advantage of you?"

"I know what – _who_ – I'm choosing," she muttered, pushing the bucket aside. She studied him and her face fell. "But I also know that… no matter how many times I tell you that I want you to stay, that you shouldn't feel guilty, and that you're exactly what I need… it won't be enough. Not if you don't feel it yourself, deep down."

He nodded, lowering his gaze. "There's so much I feel guilty about," he admitted. "Being unable to save you, letting you get hurt, endangering you; but also holding you back."

She looked at him, puzzled. "Holding me back? What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter." He squeezed her hand. "What I'm saying is that that guilt… it's going to keep eating at me if I stay here. It's going to make me act differently towards you in the long run and I told you – you'll resent me in the end. I can't bear that, Fae. You must understand that. I have to go and give you an actual choice."

"So if I let you go and I decide in a while that I choose you after all, you'll come back?" she asked him and he let out a breath.

"I don't know. I don't know if I can." He looked at her pleadingly. "I only know I can't stay right now."

She looked at him for a while longer and then she nodded, slowly, reluctantly, but she nodded. "I understand." Because she did. She could imagine his guilt because she knew that if she were in his position, she would most likely feel the same way. They were alike in that respect.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He urged her to get some rest, kissed her forehead, told her he loved her, and left the room.

Elphaba eventually fell asleep, but she was restless and woke up often, not just because she wasn't feeling well physically but also because there was a different feeling nagging at her. A feeling that told her she wasn't going to see Fiyero again. At some point, she asked Galinda to fetch him for her again. Twenty minutes later, the blonde returned, looking distraught, and Elphaba already knew.

"He's gone."

Galinda nodded, tears in her eyes, and handed Elphaba the short note he had apparently left for her in his room.

 _Dear Fae,_

 _I know you'll hate me for doing this to you, but you must understand that I don't have a choice. I'm doing this for you, because I love you too much to hold you back. You deserve so much better than the disgraced son of the Tiggular family who was too stupid to even graduate university, even though he went to six different ones. Deep down, you must know that, too. You deserve someone who actually finished university and did great things with his life. One day, you'll find him and you'll be happy I let you go._

 _That's all I ever wanted, you know. For you to be happy._

 _Yours forever,_

 _Fiyero_

"Is _that_ what he thinks?" Elphaba croaked, staring at the note in her hand. "That he's not good enough for me?"

Galinda bit her lip. "Apparently."

"Why didn't he _say_ so? I thought it was just the guilt, but…" The dark-haired witch shook her head. "He's right. He _is_ stupid, but not for the reasons he thinks he is."

Galinda touched her friend's arm. "I'm so sorry, Elphie."

Elphaba just crumpled the note into a ball, hurled it across the room, and then doubled over to retch into her bucket again.

* * *

 **Reviews may or may not bring Fiyero back. O:)**


	38. Abandoned

**Congrats to Sophitz for being the 400th reviewer! :)**

 **I love all the philosophical reviews I got about Fiyero leaving. I agree with the ones among you saying he's not stupid - especially ElphieNeedsAHug (as for that username, it's very true in this story right now, haha). You're right: in the musical, there's all this love and despair and desire that's been stewing for years and he acts before he thinks by going with Elphaba. Here, he has more time to think and Elphaba's been rubbing off on him a little, so maybe he thinks a little too much.**

* * *

 **38\. Abandoned**

By Tuesday morning, Elphaba's food poisoning bug had disappeared from her system and her energy, appetite, and ability to work had returned. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Fiyero.

That night, Oscar found her curled up on a corner of the couch in the living room, crying her heart out with a cushion clutched to her chest, and he wordlessly sat down beside her and put his arm around her. She buried her face in his shoulder, her entire body shaking.

"I shouldn't be crying," she hiccupped.

Oscar smiled a little. "It's okay to cry, you know, Elphaba."

"I know." She sniffled. "But even though the stitches were taken out weeks ago, the wound is still sore, and all the throwing up over the past few days didn't help, so now crying hurts. Literally." She heaved a shuddering sigh. "I just wish it hurt more than the reason I'm crying in the first place. Physical pain is always easier to handle."

"You don't get to choose that, sweetheart." Oscar stroked her hair. "As long as you realise it was his decision and you don't blame yourself."

"Of course I blame myself!" she cried. "Why would he feel that way if I hadn't somehow _made_ him feel that way? Maybe not consciously, but still! Somewhere along the line I must have made him feel like he wasn't good enough for me… or maybe that's all just a farce." She sounded bitter now. "Maybe it's not really that he realised he's not good enough for me. Maybe he just finally saw that _I_ am not good enough for _him_. In that case, I can't even blame him."

"Elphaba!" Oscar said, sounding shocked, but she knew he wasn't all that surprised. He knew her, after all, just like Galinda did. He sighed and pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I really thought you'd gotten over those insecurities," he said.

She shrugged listlessly. "Yeah, well, everyone just keeps proving them right," she muttered. "Duran, being in love with me and dying because of it. Fiyero leaving…"

"Neither of those things were your fault," her father said sternly. He pulled back to make her look at him. "Elphaba," he said gently. "Bad things happen in life. And I agree that you've had your fair share of bad things, but not everyone gets the same amount of heartbreak in their lives. Some people get lucky and are almost always happy. Some have lots of bad things thrown at them, but I believe that you wouldn't be forced to go through all them if you weren't strong enough to handle them."

She curled up against him again, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm so tired of being strong," she whispered, more tears leaking from her eyes and onto her father's shirt. "It's easy to be strong when you have to, when you don't have a choice… when you're pregnant and all alone in a strange city, when your children depend on you, even when you have a stalker after you. Being strong is also much easier when you have a support network around you, because I know I could never have done it – raising Fawn and Xalo, I mean, or even handling that stalker – without you, Galinda, Cohvu…" She sobbed. "But what if part of that support network falls away? Where does it end, Dad?"

"It doesn't," he said, starting to stroke his daughter's long, raven hair again. "It never really ends, sweetheart, but it gets easier. Not everything in life is bad, you know. There have been a lot of wonderful things happening over the past ten years. You were happy you found me, weren't you? And that you could go to Shiz University, that you graduated at the top of your class, became deputy mayor, watched Fawn and Xalo grow up… For every bad thing, there's also a good thing. At least one."

She sat up, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her cardigan. "I just feel so _stupid_ ," she said, still sniffling. "That I fell for it _again_. That I let myself fall in love with a man who just walked out on me. He didn't even really give me a choice in the matter. He just _left_!"

"Don't compare Fiyero to Avaric," Oscar warned her. "Those two situations were completely different, Elphaba. Avaric was a jerk who took advantage of you and then went a little crazy in the head. Fiyero is just insecure, but he really did – does – love you."

She huffed a wry laugh. "Does it matter? If it's not enough to keep him here?" She shook her head. "Deep down, I always hoped someone else would come along," she admitted. "Someone who could be a father to Fawn and Xalo, someone I could love… and I thought I had that. I really did. How can I go back to doing everything on my own again?"

"You don't have to." Oscar put his arm around her and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "You have us. All of us. We're not going anywhere."

"I never thought I'd open up to anyone again," she murmured, fresh tears filling her eyes. "Not like this. Not enough to get hurt this badly again, this easily. I just never learn, do I?" She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. "I love him, Dad," she wept. "I really, really do."

"I know you do, sweetheart." Oscar pressed a kiss to her hair. It hurt to see his daughter like this. She seemed so much younger and more vulnerable now than she usually did and he didn't know what he could do to help her. "And he loves you, too. That's why he left. It has nothing to do with you, really, and everything with him and his own self-esteem issues. He hasn't had an easy life, either, but he feels like he hasn't accomplished as much as you have and that makes him feel insecure."

"But I'm not better off without him at all! Why would he get to make that decision for me?" she demanded.

Oscar shrugged. "He doesn't," he said. "So go after him."

She looked at him.

"Find him," he said. "We had the money to hire Oz's best bodyguard – we also have the money to hire Oz's best private detective. Find Fiyero, go after him, and talk to him."

Elphaba shook her head, sinking deeper into the couch. "I don't even know what I would say," she said hoarsely. "I've already said everything I wanted to say and it wasn't enough to keep him here. Why would he change his mind if I went after him and talked to him again? It'd only hurt more. I told him I understand why he felt like he had to leave and I _do_ , I really do… I just wish he didn't feel like he had to."

Oscar sighed. "That's a choice you have to make for yourself, Elphaba."

She nodded and wiped her face clean, taking a deep breath. "Are the twins asleep?"

Her father shook his head. "They're waiting for you to come say good night," he said. "I don't think they'll be sleeping much in any case. Fiyero's departure hurt them, too."

For a moment, Oscar thought his daughter was going to cry again, but she simply said, "Of course it did," and left the room. He sighed, wishing there was something he could do for her.

* * *

Elphaba, in turn, wished there was more she could do for her children.

Fawn and Xalo were devastated about Fiyero's departure and they didn't understand. They were sombre, quiet, and withdrawn. They told Elphaba that Fiyero had come to them after visiting Elphaba that final time and that he'd told them he was leaving. Elphaba was glad he'd at least said good-bye to the twins, but they still didn't get why he had to leave at all and they missed him. Almost every evening, Elphaba crawled into bed with them; both of them had difficulty sleeping and Elphaba just couldn't bring herself to try to sleep in her own bed by herself. Even Cohvu and Galinda were quieter.

They tried to go on. Elphaba, Galinda, and Oscar worked; Cohvu taught the twins, who obediently learnt their lessons. They talked, but never about Fiyero. He wasn't coming back. Maybe she'd never see or talk to him again. _That_ thought seemed to squeeze her throat shut until she could hardly breathe anymore, so she wouldn't let herself think it.

She still talked to Nessa on the phone a couple of times a week and when her sister heard what had happened, she made a decision. "Fabala, I'm coming to the Emerald City."

Elphaba spluttered. "Ness, you don't need to do that. Frex wouldn't let you, it's incredibly difficult for you to travel alone, and I wouldn't even have that much time for you," she protested. "I don't want you to just have to sit around in my living room while I work."

"I don't care, Elphaba," Nessa said firmly. "I wasn't there after you got shot or when Fiyero left. I'll be damned if I leave you alone now." That was quite strong language from her normally so proper sister and Elphaba opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure of what to say.

Nessa wasn't finished yet, however. "I know you have Oscar, and Galinda and Cohvu, and the twins; but you're my sister and I want to be there for you. I'm coming. You'd better prepare your guest room, because I'll be in the City before the weekend and I'm planning on staying for at least a week – your birthday is in a few days, too, and I want to be there for that as well. I've already missed so much."

She stuck to her word, too; and even though Elphaba hated the thought of her sister going through so much trouble for her, she couldn't deny that she loved seeing Nessa again and that her sister's presence helped a lot. They shared a long hug the moment they laid eyes on one another and Nessa instantly started distracting the twins, suggesting they bake a lot of delicious things while she was here and asking them to explain their favourite video games to her, since Frex didn't have a TV or computer, so Nessa had never played video games before. Fawn and Xalo were only too happy to comply and Elphaba was relieved to see them smiling again, finally once more enthusiastic about something. They'd been so despondent before, she'd been starting to get worried. Apparently, having their aunt over for a visit helped them tremendously – and Elphaba instantly felt better, too.

She didn't want to celebrate her twenty-seventh birthday and her family and friends respected that, although they did have a small private party with just the young witch's closest circle: Fawn, Xalo, Oscar, Galinda, Cohvu, and Nessa. Elphaba mainly accepted this for the twins' sake, recognising it as another distraction. They were very proud of the birthday cake they'd made their mum, together with Auntie Nessa, and Elphaba acted appropriately surprised and delighted. The cake _was_ delicious, but the green woman couldn't really enjoy it. She could only think about the one person she wished was here; the one person who was missing.

The Monday after Fiyero's departure, Galinda had her twenty-week ultrasound and she asked Elphaba to go with her along with Cohvu, hoping to distract her best friend a little from her grief over Fiyero by showing her her godchild. Elphaba agreed easily and the three of them made their way to the hospital that afternoon, Galinda chattering excitedly and Cohvu suspiciously quiet and pale.

Elphaba had to laugh a little at his face. "Breathe," she told him and he gave her a sheepish look.

"I'm just worried," he said to her in a whisper as they walked across the parking lot towards the hospital, Galinda a few paces in front of them. "She's so excited to find out the baby's gender, but what if something's wrong? She isn't at all prepared for that."

"You'll deal with that if it happens," Elphaba assured him. "If nothing was wrong so far, I'm sure everything is fine now."

Being back in a hospital was a little difficult for Elphaba – the smells, sounds, and sights all came back to her instantly and she couldn't help but think about Fiyero, too. She pushed those thoughts away, however. She wasn't here for herself now; she was here for Galinda, and the reason was a fun one, not a scary one. She'd be fine.

She forgot all about her fears and memories soon, as it turned out. Upon seeing the ultrasound of her godchild, a moving image of what was going on inside Galinda's stomach right at that moment, Elphaba found herself tearing up. She wasn't the only one, either – Galinda was full-on crying and even Cohvu looked suspiciously misty-eyed.

"Don't worry, everything is fine," the technician assured them, smiling. She was a brunette in her fifties who managed to put Galinda at ease quickly, for which Elphaba was grateful. "The baby looks healthy and he – or she – is growing well. Do you want to know the gender?"

"Yes!" Galinda almost shouted and the technician laughed.

"Let's see…" She moved around, trying to get a clear image on the screen. Galinda was almost literally holding her breath and Cohvu squeezed her hand. Elphaba smiled at the two of them together and took a deep breath, wiping her eyes.

Cohvu glanced at her and mouthed, "You okay?". She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. This wasn't about her, anyway. It was about her best friends and their baby.

"You seem to have a little bit of a prude here, Galinda," the technician said with a chuckle. "Baby is firmly keeping me from seeing anything."

Galinda heaved a frustrated sigh and the technician laughed again. "Don't worry, I'll keep looking for a little while longer. As soon as he moves again… Ah, there we go." She peeked closer at the screen and then smiled. "Congratulations, Mummy," she said, beaming. "You're having a baby boy!"

Galinda and Elphaba simultaneously burst into tears at that, much to Cohvu's alarm. As he put an arm around his fiancée and tried to comfort her, he looked at Elphaba with wide eyes, but she waved him away.

"Sorry," she said, laughing through her tears. "It's just… I'm going to have a godson." She was beaming and Cohvu laughed, too, at that.

"You do," he agreed. "Congrats, Auntie Elphaba."

Elphaba chuckled tearfully. "No, _you_ congrats, Daddy." She smiled a little. "This brings back so many memories."

Now it was Galinda's turn to giggle despite her tears. "Oh, Elphie, I so wish I could have been there when you were told you were carrying twins!" Suddenly, her eyes widened and she glanced at the technician. "Mine is only one baby… right?" she asked anxiously and the technician nodded, still smiling.

"Yes, Galinda, don't worry," she assured the blonde. "It's only the one boy."

"Good." Galinda looked relieved. "Because I don't know how you did it, Elphie, but I don't think I could handle _two_."

On their way back home, Galinda made Elphaba tell her all about the ultrasound appointment when she'd found out she was carrying twins and not just one baby and Elphaba obeyed, rolling her eyes.

"I was still on my own," she reminded the blonde. "I didn't know about Oscar yet, so I was working, all alone in the City, but I did get an ultrasound appointment." She chuckled. "I was all alone and then, suddenly, that woman said, "Oh, dear". You can imagine how scared I was."

Galinda shook her head. "That's just mean."

"So I asked what was wrong and she just said, "Look, here's one baby and there's the other. Congratulations, you're having twins.". I think I stared at her for at least a full minute." She smiled softly. "I found out their genders about eight weeks later – or, well, Xalo's gender. Fawn refused to be in the right position for us to see, so her gender remained a surprise until she was born." She looked at Galinda. "Xalo will be so thrillified to have a cousin," she said, a catch in her voice. "Oz, Glin, I can't believe I'm going to be a godmother."

Galinda giggled, tearing up again as well. "You're already a mother. How hard can it be?"

Elphaba hugged her – as well as she could, anyway, from the backseat of the car. "You'll be a fantastic mother, Glin. And you a wonderful father, Cohvu. I'm so happy for you both."

Galinda saw the sadness in her eyes, however, and it broke her heart. "Oh, Elphie…

"Don't," Elphaba said fiercely. "Don't make this about me. This is about you." She squeezed her friend's arm. "Just because I can't keep a guy, doesn't mean you two should feel guilty about it," she said lightly. "You found each other, you're happy together, you're having a son, and you're getting married. Just enjoy that."

Galinda frowned at her, but Elphaba glared back and her friend dropped the subject. They all missed Fiyero; and even though no-one missed him more than Elphaba did, life went on without him – for her as well.


	39. Coping

**39\. Coping**

Life did go on, of course, but that didn't mean it became any easier. Fawn and Xalo, who had simply been sad in the beginning, were now starting to get angry.

"I hate him," Fawn declared one day over dinner, when the topic of Fiyero had come up. "He said he'd be there for us, we thought he was going to be our new father, and then he just _left_. He hurt Mum and he's stupid and I never want to see him again."

"Fawn!" Elphaba said in mild shock, but the little green girl just leaned back in her set and crossed her arms without saying anything.

"Princess," Oscar said gently, but Fawn shook her head wildly.

"Don't call me that! He called me that, too, when Mum was in the hospital, and then he left!"

Elphaba rose to her feet and moved around the table, crouching down in front of her daughter's chair.

"Listen to me, sweetie," she said, looking into Fawn's emerald green eyes. "Sometimes, something just happens that makes a person need to leave. Not everything always has a happy ending. I understand that you're mad at Fiyero for leaving the way he did. I am, too," she admitted. "But he promised to protect us and keep us safe, he kept that promise, and then it was time for him to move on."

"But he said he loved you!" Xalo piped up from behind her. "Then why would he leave?"

Elphaba sighed. "That's complicated, my little monkeys," she muttered. "He just did. He felt like he had to."

"But _why_?" Fawn pressed and Elphaba didn't really have an answer to that.

"I want him back," said Xalo, staring down at his plate. "Fawn is right – he's stupid and I hate him, too, for going away and for hurting you, Mum, but I still want him to come back."

"Me, too," Fawn admitted quietly and Elphaba hugged them both.

"I know, my darlings," she murmured. "I know. I do, too."

Nessa's stay had helped a lot, but she'd gone home after staying for well over a week and since Elphaba was quite busy with work, she couldn't really keep the twins occupied the way her sister had. Galinda and Cohvu were wonderful, though, and so was Oscar. She was confident they would be fine. She wasn't so sure, however, about herself.

And so, without telling anyone, she started asking around for Fiyero's whereabouts. He didn't have any friends that she knew of, so she tried the Internet, even the police station and her own guards, since he'd worked so closely with them; but no-one had an address from after he'd left the Palace and he never picked up his phone. Eventually, she hired a private detective to track down the bodyguard. She was done with this. She wasn't going to let him get away with this so easily.

In the meantime, she helped Galinda plan her and Cohvu's wedding – much sooner now than originally anticipated, because the blonde had suddenly decided that she wanted to get married whilst still pregnant. Despite her usual vanity and longing for perfection, Galinda had really blossomed since she'd fallen pregnant and she was incredibly proud of her baby bump, wanting to show it off for everyone to see on the most important day of her life. Elphaba only applauded that decision and used every means she had access to to make Galinda's day as perfect as possible. Her wedding would be in September, when she was about thirty weeks pregnant, so there was a lot of work to do in the upcoming weeks. Elphaba was grateful for it.

Sometimes she wondered if she was being stupid, trying to find Fiyero. Sometimes she thought she should just leave him be and learn to live without him. Oz knew she wasn't at all convinced he did love her as much as he said, and that he'd left for the reasons he'd given her; but Oscar and Galinda kept telling her it was obvious how in love with her Fiyero had been and how much he'd doted on the twins, and that he was just insecure. She wasn't usually one to take a chance, but in this case, she couldn't let him go without a fight if the only thing holding him back was his own uncertainty and low self-esteem. She'd never forgive herself if she did that. She at least had to try.

And so she continued to track him down, meanwhile spending time with the twins and a _lot_ of time with pregnant Galinda and Cohvu, trying to keep the pink in their wedding to a bare minimum and to convince her best friend that feeding white doves glitter so they'd poop sparkles _really_ wasn't a good idea – that, in fact, she should probably forego the white doves altogether.

"But Elphie," Galinda whined, "white doves are part of a tradition!"

"White doves will also most probably _die_ after you set them free," Elphaba retorted. "I didn't spend years battling Animal – _and_ animal – cruelty as the deputy mayor only to have my best friend murder a bunch of doves just because she wants a tradition at her wedding. Either pick a different tradition or pick a different maid of honour."

Galinda sulked, but she saw her friend's point and so she relented. "Can I still arrive in a carriage pulled by white horses, though?"

"As long as you make sure the horses are well cared for," Elphaba said and the blonde nodded enthusiastically and scribbled something onto her list.

The colour scheme, of course, was pink; but for Cohvu's sake, Elphaba forbade her best friend from inserting too much of it into the ceremony.

"If the bridesmaids' dresses, the cake, half of the balloons and decorations, _and_ most of the flowers are pink, you don't need any more pink at your wedding," she told Galinda firmly. "Forget about the pink carriage or pink plates and glasses, Glin. Unless your goal is to turn Cohvu's sexual orientation around, I'd suggest you stop right there."

Galinda giggled. "And then he'd leave me at the altar to go make out with Gazilon instead."

Elphaba laughed at that, too, but quickly sobered, and Galinda gave her a sad smile.

"It's been a while since I saw you laugh," she said softly. "I really hate seeing you so sad all the time, Elphie."

Elphaba heaved a sigh. "I know, Glin, and I'm sorry. I don't mean to be such a downer –"

"That's not what I meant, Elphaba." Galinda shifted a little to lay her hand on Elphaba's arm. "It's just… are you okay? Are you feeling any better than before?"

Elphaba shrugged listlessly. "Some days are better than others, but I can't go more than a minute without thinking about him," she admitted. "I hate seeing the twins still so upset and I just… miss him. So much. Much more than I thought I would." She looked down. "Honestly, Glin, if he doesn't come back, I don't think I'll ever allow myself to fall in love again," she confessed. "It never ends well for me, anyway. It only hurts."

"Oh, Elphie…" Galinda hugged her friend, but there was nothing more she could do.

And then, a few days later, over a month after he had left, Elphaba got a call from the private detective she'd hired. He'd found Fiyero's address, an apartment in the Vinkus.

She tried not to let her enthusiasm show and she didn't tell anyone. Instead, she calmly finished her work for the day and then asked Galinda to cancel her appointments for the next day, because she had an important visit to make in the Vinkus that really couldn't wait. The blonde PA didn't even question Elphaba; she occasionally had had to leave for an impromptu meeting in a different part of Oz before, so it wasn't that strange.

The next day, however, the green woman got into her own car and drove to the Vinkus, determined to get answers one way or another.

She almost turned around a few times. Almost. Because what if he didn't want to see her? What if he slammed the door in her face or turned her away? What if she did get to talk to him and he'd confess that the real reason he'd left was because he'd simply gotten tired of her?

She pushed through, however, and dusk was setting in by the time she arrived at the apartment where Fiyero was supposedly staying.

It felt like she was starring in a bad romance movie as she got out of the car and walked up to the building. There were no names beside the doorbells to the different apartment, so she just rang them all until someone buzzed her in not much later. She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went into the building, taking the stairs up to the first floor and knocking on the first door she saw.

After four doors (opened by an elderly lady with a cat, two young men with cigarettes in the corners of their mouths and beers in their hands, an exhausted-looking woman with a baby in her arms and three more kids clinging to her legs, and a grumpy old man, respectively), the fifth door was opened by a woman who knew Fiyero.

"He's my neighbour," she explained. "He's not home right now – he usually goes out to the bar to drink at night. He'll be back in a couple of hours. You can wait here in the hallway if you like."

Elphaba thanked her and the woman waved in reply before going back inside. The green woman had no intention of waiting in the hallway, however. Instead, she glanced around and then quickly chanted a spell, cupping her hands around the doorknob to keep the sparks from lighting up the dark. The lock clicked and she slipped inside.

She took a deep breath, closed the door behind her, and looked around Fiyero's apartment. It was clean, but small, old, and sparsely furnished. At least he had a nice view, she noticed when she glanced out of the window: she could see the grasslands from here.

She lingered and eventually settled down in an armchair to wait for him, gaze locked on the door. She ate the food she'd bought at a gas station on her way here and then waited longer. She picked up one of Fiyero's books and read for a bit. Then she put the book away again and settled down in the chair once more. At some point, she called Oscar to let her father know her 'appointment' had taken longer than anticipated and she'd be staying at a hotel for the night, but she'd return to the City in the morning. He promised to look after the twins for her.

It was well after midnight when she finally heard a key turn in the lock and the door opened. Fiyero stumbled in, looking decidedly worse for wear; his eyes were blood-shot, he smelt of alcohol, and he looked like he hadn't combed his hair or shaved for days. He kicked the door shut behind him and lit a lamp, only to jump visibly when he saw Elphaba sitting there.

"Hello," she said casually, tracing a pattern on the arm of the chair with the tip of her finger. She cocked her head a little to the side. "Had a nice night out?"

He spluttered, still standing by the door with his keys in his hand, gaping at her. "What – what are you…? How did you even…?"

"It wasn't easy to track you down," she admitted, her finger still restlessly playing along the arm of her chair. "I decided fairly quickly to go after you, but it took a private detective to find out where you'd gone off to after leaving the Emerald City. You're good at the disappearing act." She smiled a little, even though it didn't reach her eyes. "Fortunately, I'm even better at the finding act."

He finally moved, dropping his keys onto a side table and moving over to sink down in the chair opposite Elphaba's. "Elphaba…" he said slowly. "What in Oz are you doing here?"

She rose from the chair and started pacing.

"I thought it was just the guilt eating at you," she said. "And I could understand that, because I've felt guilty about a lot of things in my life, too, and I know the impact guilt can have. But what you wrote in that note… Is that really what you've been thinking all this time? That you're not good enough for me?"

He exhaled through his nose. "Elphaba, it doesn't take a genius to see that I'm not _nearly_ good enough for you," he stressed. "You've achieved so much and I have achieved nothing. You can do anything; I'm just a silly playboy even his own family couldn't stand to be around. We can't be together because we're not equals, Fae. You're so far out of my league it's ridiculous."

" _This_ is ridiculous," she snapped. " _You_ are being ridiculous." She snorted. "You're an idiot, Fiyero Tiggular, and that has nothing to do with your intelligence level," she spat at him. "I have plenty of experience with insecurity, but this… Yero, your worth isn't determined by your family's opinion of you, or the things you've done – or haven't done – in the past, or the skills you have, or the goals you've achieved. Your worth is determined by who you are as a person, deep down inside. I didn't fall in love with the silly playboy or the guy who flunked out of six universities. I didn't fall in love with the bodyguard. I fell in love with the man who makes me laugh, the man who continues to save me even when I don't think I need saving; the man whose face lights up every time I enter a room, the man who gets excited about me teaching him how to cook, the man picking me out of my own bathtub and taking care of me and not even chiding me for being stubborn and trying to do it myself. I fell in love with your personality, Yero, and your heart; I fell in love with you because I could tell that you're a good man. And besides," she added, scowling at him, "you said yourself that I'm smart."

It took him a while to find his voice. He was visibly taken aback by her speech. "I don't think that's even a question."

She tilted her head a little to the side, locking her gaze with his. "Then you'll agree with me that I am far too smart to ever fall in love with a stupid person, or, for that matter, with anyone who isn't 'worthy' of me," she said smugly. He opened his mouth and she held up a hand. "And before you say it – Avaric doesn't count. I was never in love with him, anyway. I was just young and foolish, insecure and flattered, so that doesn't count. It's different. I've never, not even for a second, felt for him even a fraction of what I feel for you." She held his gaze, her own eyes fiery. "That's all I wanted to say, really," she confessed. "Well, one more thing. The twins miss you. A lot. They love you, just like I do, and we all miss you." She lowered her gaze. "But it's up to you to decide if you're willing to come back or not."

He was still staring. She didn't say anything, instead sitting back down in the chair she'd occupied before and leaning back, arms crossed. It was up to him now.

"Fae…" He trailed off, unsure of what to tell her. He rubbed his face with both hands. "I've been miserable ever since I left," he confessed. "I didn't really want to leave and once I was gone, I didn't know what to do with myself. I've done a couple of short jobs elsewhere and found this apartment, figuring the Vinkus – my home province – was as good a place to go to as any… but even here, everything reminded me of you." He glanced at her and then down at the floor, abashed. "I fell back into my old ways, too. You know… hanging out at the bar every night and drinking myself into oblivion." He shook his head. "Are you sure you want me?" he asked unhappily.

"I'm sure," she said, standing up again and crouching down in front of his chair instead, touching his knee. "I told you, Yero – I don't love you for the choices you make. I love you for who you are. We can make this work, but I need you in for that, too."

He looked at her, studying her face and her eyes thoroughly. She didn't look away. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but his head felt foggy from all the beer he'd consumed and from Elphaba's speech and he couldn't really process it all. She'd come after him. She'd come looking for him because she loved him and she wanted him to come back. Could he?

Apparently sensing his thoughts, she said, "I'll give you some time to think about it. Is that okay? You don't have to decide right now, if you don't want to."

He took a breath and nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

She nodded, too. "All right. Do you know any hotels nearby?"

He stared at her again and she clarified, "For me to spend the night. It's a long drive back to the City and not one I'm willing to make at this hour."

He spluttered. "Don't be ridiculous. You can stay here – take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"We've shared a bed before," she pointed out, but he shook his head.

"I'll be fine on the couch, Fae. Really." The truth was that he wasn't sure he'd be able to behave if he shared a bed with her and he didn't want to take advantage of her – especially not before he'd made his final decision.

She looked at him, but didn't protest. She borrowed one of his shirts to sleep in and settled down in the bed, lying awake for another long time, hoping with all her might that she'd managed to convince Fiyero to come back with her and give their relationship another try. He, for his part, made himself comfortable on the couch, but was unable to sleep as well, instead thinking over Elphaba's words and weighing his guilt and insecurities against them. Could he really get over those things for her? He just wasn't sure.


	40. Decisions

**Thank you all for sticking with me for so long. My second-longest fic ever, longer even than _Broken Dreams_ , and I hope you all enjoyed reading it if only half as much as I enjoyed writing it. (Fiyeraba's Love Child, your review kind of made me cry. Thank you so much!)**

 **Personally, I really like this chapter, and I don't think it'll be difficult for you to guess why.**

* * *

 **40\. Decisions**

It was about four in the morning when Fiyero woke up because of a desperate need to use the bathroom (as always after he'd been drinking too much). On his way back, however, he glanced at the open door to his bedroom and halted; then he silently slipped inside.

Elphaba was curled up on her side, facing him. Her beautiful, long hair fanned out across his pillow. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was regular, but she didn't look entirely at peace; she muttered unintelligible things in her sleep and seemed to cringe every now and then. She was probably dreaming. She must've been warm, because she'd pushed the blankets down to her hips and his gaze lingered on her figure, hidden by his shirt, which was too big on her. Despite her restlessness, she looked beautiful. It hit him like a ton of bricks and there was really only one thing he could do.

He moved closer to the bed and knelt down beside it, reaching out to gingerly tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and stroke her cheek. "Fae?" he whispered. Part of him felt awful for waking her, but this was something that could not wait.

Her eyes fluttered open and when she focused on his face, she frowned. "What's wrong?" she murmured drowsily.

"Nothing," he whispered back to her. "I just wanted to tell you… I love you." He watched her sleepy gaze become a little clearer and he added, "And I'll come back to the City with you."

She closed her eyes for a moment and he thought for just a heartbeat that she'd fallen back asleep, but then she opened them again and he could see the relief shining in them, spreading across her entire face. "Thank Oz," she sighed, reaching for him. He complied, crawling into the bed with her and pulling her into his arms. He buried his face in the crook between her neck and her shoulder and inhaled her scent, wrapping his arms tighter around her as he felt her cling to him.

They made love three times that night and hardly slept at all, instead talking about everything that had prompted him to leave and everything she'd said to convince him to come back. They discussed both their insecurities, ways they could keep them under control, and promises they'd have to make one another to make this work – such as to always talk to each other about things that bothered them.

By eight o'clock, neither of them had slept much more, but they were both wide awake; and so they moved to the kitchen, where Fiyero made them both pancakes for breakfast – a dish Elphaba had taught him to make a couple of weeks ago. The proud smile on her face when he set down a plate with perfect pancakes, none of them undercooked or burnt, almost made him want to cry. When she suddenly turned pale, however, her smile fading, and she bolted off to the bathroom, he instantly became worried.

"Fae?" he asked in concern, following her and holding back her hair as she vomited. "What's wrong? Are you ill? Do you have food poisoning again?"

She rose to her feet to rinse her mouth, grimacing. "Well, as long as we're on the subject, anyway, I suppose I should let this cat out of the bag as well." She took a deep breath. "There's another reason I'm glad you decided to come back with me," she confessed. "I mean, it's not really _why_ I want you to come back, and I didn't tell you because I don't want you to come back just because of it; but I'm still really glad you _did_ agree to come back because, well, I've done it by myself before and I know I can – with my family's help, anyway – but I don't really _want_ to do it by myself again, you know?"

"Fae," said Fiyero, eyeing her worriedly. "You're not making any sense. What are you saying?"

She took a deep breath and then slowly let it out again through her nose, meeting his eyes. "I'm saying I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant, Fiyero."

He gawked at her.

"What – what about the pill?" he managed after a while.

"I should have realised," she said with a pained look on her face, "that when you get food poisoning and spend an entire day puking your guts out, the pill might come back out as well and isn't exactly reliable anymore to prevent pregnancy. And since I seem to recall you and I were rather enthusiastic the weekend before…"

Realisation dawned on Fiyero's face and he continued to gawk, a light filling his eyes. "We're having a baby?" he asked in wonder and when she nodded, he swept her up into his arms and spun her around, a huge grin on his face. She protested and he set her down again, cupping her face and kissing her deeply and thoroughly for a long time.

"I love you so much," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "Fae… I'm so sorry for leaving."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be sorry because of _this_ ," she warned him, but he shook his head.

"I'd be sorry anyway," he said. "I never meant to hurt you. I honestly thought it'd be better for you… you'd be happier without me." He took a deep breath. "Do you think I'll be a horrible father?" he asked worriedly and she actually laughed at him.

"I've seen you with the twins for months, Yero," she reminded him. "They love you. You'll be the best father in the world."

That beaming grin returned and he kissed her again. "To all three of them," he promised, placing a hand over her still-flat abdomen. "Or I'll try to be, anyway. I'm going to love this baby to bits, but I never want Fawn or Xalo to feel like the baby is more loved than they are."

Much to his alarm, tears had filled Elphaba's eyes and she hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his chest. "And you wonder why I love you?" she asked with a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. " _This_ is why I love you, Yero. I don't think I know anyone else with a heart as big as yours, and for you to feel that way about kids who aren't even yours, biologically…"

He looked sheepish. "I missed them almost as much as I missed you," he confessed. "As much as I love you, you weren't the only reason it was hard for me to leave the Palace."

"I'm glad," she said honestly, looking up at him. "They deserve to be loved. They deserve a father."

Just for a moment, when he looked into her eyes, it was like he could see straight into her soul. He could see the pride there, the love, and the faith she had in him; he could see her grief over his departure, but also her relief about his decision to return. It only strengthened that decision. There was a small part of him that had never fully believed her before when she said the things she'd told him the previous day, but he believed her now.

She took a deep breath and the moment was gone, but it didn't matter. He'd seen enough. "All right, I think I should be able to keep down a few pancakes now," she decided. "In fact, I'm rather hungry."

"Then let's eat," Fiyero said, smiling; and together, his arm around her waist, they made their way over to the kitchen.

* * *

"So now what?" Elphaba asked once they had both eaten and showered and Fiyero moved around his apartment, throwing things into a sports bag. "You're just going to grab your things and come with me?"

He stilled his movements. "Isn't that what you want?" he asked, his tone slightly anxious, and she rolled her eyes.

"Of course it is, but you can't just up and leave," she said. She couldn't believe she had to explain this to him. "What about your job?"

"I'm kind of in between jobs at the moment, anyway." He shrugged as he emerged from his bedroom with his arms full of clothes.

She looked at him in exasperation. "Well, what about the lease on your apartment?"

Another shrug. "I've already paid it for the rest of the month, so I'll just drop off my key. I rented the furniture along with the place, so I have nothing to move except for my clothes and personal stuff." He grinned at her. "Give me another ten minutes and I'm good to go."

She laughed and watched as he packed the rest of his things, then did another sweep of the apartment and nodded, satisfied. "Let's go."

As they made their way down the stairs of the small building, he asked, "What do you want me to do when we get back? As a job, I mean?"

She pushed open the front door, gratefully breathing in the fresh air – she did _not_ like the tiny stairwell to Fiyero's apartment. "Honestly? I couldn't care less," she told him as he followed her and they walked to her car together. "You can keep doing your own bodyguard job, if you want to, as long as you eventually always return to me." She smirked at him. He grinned back.

She continued as he opened the boot of the car and put in his bag. "If you want to do something else, I have a few vacancies for you. My family seems to be in need of a personal bodyguard these days, so you could do that." She blinked innocently at him. "My head of security is considering leaving the Palace, so there's that job, too, if you want it. We could also go in an entirely different direction – there's a secretary needed on the second floor, for example; and as you may or may not know, my PA is soon going on pregnancy leave, followed by maternity leave, so I'm going to need someone to fill that gap as well…"

He chuckled. "I don't think I'd be a good PA, Fae, but thanks for the offer. I'll consider it."

She moved over to the driver's side of the car and paused. "Do you remember when some creep wrote 'Be mine or die', right there?" she asked, half-joking. She pointed at the spot where the words had been; the car had been to the garage to get the damage fixed, but there was still a faint colour difference visible across the side of the vehicle. "Feels like it happened ages ago, doesn't it?"

"Don't remind me," Fiyero said, clearly pained, as he got into the passenger seat.

She scooted into the driver's seat and looked at him. "You can be angry or sad it happened, or feel guilty," she said. "But in the end, we got him, didn't we? He didn't get his way. I didn't die, and I'm not his, either." She slipped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. "I'm yours."

Despite himself, that made him smile and he kissed her softly. "And I am yours."

"Glad to hear it." She kissed him again and then pulled away, giving him an impish smile before starting the car. "So when we get back to the City, will you come with me to go buy a new car?" she asked. "I think I could use some change. Leave some bad memories behind, and all that."

He nodded, squeezing her knee, and she placed her hand over his and squeezed back as she drove back into the streets, heading for the Emerald City. Heading home.

They were only a few more hours away from the City when Elphaba's phone rang. She glanced at it once and then at Fiyero. "You take it. I can't take a call while driving and it's probably Galinda or Dad, asking me if I'm okay and when I'll be back."

He nodded and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

It was silent on the other side and for a moment, there was a sense of panic; he almost expected to hear that heavy breathing again. Instead, however, he heard a high-pitched voice, squeaking, "Who is this? What are you doing with Elphie's phone?" The voice rose a little bit more in pitch. "Is this her stalker?"

Elphaba, who could hear the blonde even from where she sat, shook her head slightly, an amused yet sad smile playing around her lips. Fiyero understood. They both knew it would be a while before they could all really go back to normal, without expecting a stalker to show up at any given moment.

"It's Fiyero, Glin," he said into the phone and there was more silence on the other side.

Then a squeal. "Fiyero? You're with Elphie?"

He put her on speaker and Elphaba said, "He's with me, Glin. We're on our way back – we should be there by dinnertime."

More squealing. "Oh, Elphie! Is that what you went off to do yesterday? To find him? I didn't even know you were looking for him!"

She glanced in Fiyero's direction again and said to the phone, "I couldn't just let him go."

Fiyero reached out to take her free hand and laced their fingers together. She smiled at him. "Dad suggested I hire a private detective, so I did," she continued. "I wanted to go see for myself that Fiyero was really there, and talk to him… without anyone knowing, just in case it wouldn't go over well." Her smile broadened. "Thankfully, it went over much better than I'd even dared to hope."

"He's coming back with you, then?" Galinda cried. "Fiyero, I'm so glad to have you back! Oh, the twins will be overjoyed to see you again! Can I tell them, Elphie? Please? Or do you want it to be a surprise?"

"You can tell them," said Elphaba. "Try to explain it to them, okay?"

"I will," said Galinda solemnly. "Fiyero?"

"Yeah?"

"What do _you_ think would be a good colour for a nursery?"

Elphaba groaned and Fiyero laughed. "That depends. Do you already know the gender?"

"Yes." Galinda sounded every bit the proud mother as she said, "It's a boy. We're having a son."

"Really?" Much to Elphaba's amazement, when she looked at Fiyero again, she saw there were tears in his eyes. "You're having a son? Sweet Oz, Glin… congratulations. Both of you."

"Thank you," the blonde said proudly. "And since Elphie gets to be godmother, you'd better be ready to be god _father_ , Fiyero."

"Really?" he asked again, sounding choked now, and Galinda sounded amused as she asked, "Elphie, is he crying?"

"He is definitely crying," Elphaba confirmed and Galinda giggled.

"I love making grown men cry," she said. "It's almost as good as making _you_ cry, and apparently, a baby is very good for both."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Fiyero choked out a laugh.

"So a nursery colour, Fiyero?" Galinda asked and he didn't even have to think about that.

"Green, of course," he said, looking Elphaba over meaningfully. The green woman rolled her eyes again, but Galinda gasped.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "That's _perfect_ , Fiyero! Thank you!"

"Just going with the colour that inspires me most," he said cheekily.

Elphaba stuck out her tongue at him. Galinda, on the other end of the line, laughed.

"I'll see you two soon, then," she said happily. "Drive safely. Bye!"


	41. Return

**Thanks so much for your reviews!**

 **Guest: Fiyero's been gone for about five weeks, so Elphaba's been pregnant for about five weeks, too. Even when a woman has had her period a week ago, it's possible for her to get pregnant if she forgets to take the pill or it comes back out, especially if her cycle is usually irregular. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen - it actually happened to a friend of mine, which is where I got the idea.**

 **Only one more chapter to go after this one!**

* * *

 **41\. Return**

It was clear that Galinda had explained a few things to the twins, because when Elphaba and Fiyero came back into the Palace, they were both waiting there with serious looks on their faces.

"Hi, Fiyero," said Xalo. Fawn said nothing.

"Hey, buddy." Fiyero crouched down in front of them. "I've missed you two," he said.

"Did you?" asked Fawn flatly and he nodded.

"I did. Very much." He looked at them solemnly. "I know I left without much of an explanation, and I'm sorry about that," he said. "I guess I was… scared."

Xalo blinked at that. "Scared? You?" he asked incredulously. "You're a bodyguard. What would you be scared of?"

"I was scared of your mum getting hurt because of me," he tried to explain. "I thought it would be better for her if she could just focus on you guys for a while instead of on being in a relationship, and that she should take some time to think."

"But you don't think that anymore?" Xalo pressed and Fiyero shook his head.

"No," he said. "Your mum convinced me otherwise." He cast a smile over his shoulder at Elphaba, who returned it.

Xalo still wasn't satisfied, however. "So you're not leaving again?" he asked, just to make sure.

Fiyero shook his head again, looking at both twins earnestly. "No," he said. "I'm not leaving again. I promise. Not unless your mum kicks me out."

That was good enough for Xalo and he threw his arms around the bodyguard's neck. "I missed you," he confessed. "It was really boring here without you."

Fiyero laughed, hugging the boy back. "It's been boring without you, too, buddy."

Xalo let go of the older man and Fiyero looked at Fawn, who was studying him somewhat warily. Sensing that some assistance was needed, Elphaba approached and crouched down beside Fiyero.

"He's not going away again, sweetie," she said gently. "I know you were hurt that he left. I was, too. But people are allowed to make mistakes, aren't they?"

Fawn nodded and Elphaba continued, "So they're also allowed to change their minds and come back."

"But what if he changes his mind _again_?" Fawn asked, her voice trembling a little; and Fiyero grinned at her.

"I suppose I'll just have to prove to you that I won't," he said, rising to his feet.

"How?" Fawn asked, clearly not convinced.

"You'll see," was the only thing Fiyero said before he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll go unpack now, but I'll see you at dinner?"

The kids and Elphaba nodded and watched him go, whistling as he went.

"Do you know what he means?" Fawn asked Elphaba in a stage whisper.

She whispered back, "I have no idea."

They found out not long thereafter, when they all sat down for dinner – Elphaba, Fawn, Xalo, and Oscar – and Fiyero and Harron both entered carrying trays with full plates. Elphaba raised her eyebrows and Oscar chuckled.

"You thought, just to prove how glad you are to be back, you'd help Harron cook?" he asked in amusement and Fiyero smiled mysteriously.

"Actually," he said, "Harron helped _me_ cook."

Elphaba blinked. "You made this?" she asked incredulously and he nodded, beaming at the look on her face.

"I figured I should spoil you a little," he admitted. "I told you, I did need Harron's help."

"He did most of it by himself, though," Harron added with a wink.

Fiyero set down a plate in front of Elphaba and she felt like bursting into tears when she saw what he had made. Stir-fried chicken and vegetables with oven-roasted potatoes – the things she'd taught him to make the first time they'd ever cooked together.

"This is wonderful, Fiyero," Oscar said in mild surprise after taking a bite.

Fawn, however, scowled at Fiyero. "Do you think you making us dinner will prove to us that you won't leave again?" she demanded and Fiyero grinned at how much she sounded like her mother.

"No," he said lightly. "But something else will. You'll see."

Fawn and Elphaba watched him with similar expressions of suspicion. He didn't give anything away, however. Soon they were all eating, but the bodyguard hardly took three bites. Instead, he kept anxiously watching Elphaba, until the latter finally put down her cutlery to meet his gaze.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

He shrugged innocently. "No reason."

She kept staring at him, but he just gestured at her plate. "Eat, Fae."

She complied, still watching him; but when she suddenly saw a tiny plastic bag emerge from underneath the food, the look on her face turned to one of confusion and then he could see realisation dawning on her face. She gaped at her plate, then at him; and he picked up the tiny bag and opened it, pulling out the ring inside before dropping down on one knee. Fawn gasped, Xalo choked on a bite of food, and Oscar's cutlery fell onto his plate with a clatter.

" _This_ is me proving I won't leave again," he said, taking Elphaba's hand in his. She had her other hand already pressed over her mouth, tears having flooded her eyes, and he grinned widely at her. "I've had the ring for a while already and I've played with the thought of proposing at the gala," he said a little sheepishly. "I wasn't sure yet, though – or rather, I wasn't sure if _you_ were sure. And then… obviously a lot of stuff happened. But I want to show you that I'm not going to leave again, Fae. And I want to show you guys, too," he addressed the twins before looking back at Elphaba. "You've changed me in more ways than you'll ever know," he said. "And I'm sorry for running. I'm sorry for not having the confidence in us that you apparently had all along. But I meant what I told you today and even though I won't deny there's probably still a lot for us, or me, to work through, I want to do it _with_ you, not without you. I don't ever want to be away from you again. So, Elphaba Thropp…" He held up the ring. "Will you marry me?"

"I… I don't know," she said, her voice shaking. Fiyero's face fell for a moment, but he saw the glance she cut at the twins and he understood. _She_ might have forgiven him for leaving, but the twins might not have, and she wanted to make sure they were okay with this.

"It's okay, Fae," he said gently, getting to his feet again. "I understand."

He saw the relief on her face. "Thank you."

Fawn and Xalo, however, were exchanging looks. "Mum!" Xalo hissed. "Why aren't you saying yes?"

The adults all laughed at that. "Do you guys want me to say yes?" Elphaba asked seriously. "Be honest."

"Duh!" Xalo said as if that much should be clear. "I told you – I've always wanted a dad and Fiyero is awesome!"

Elphaba, however, was looking at Fawn; but the little green girl hardly seemed any less enthusiastic than her brother. "Fawn?"

"The only reason I wouldn't want him to stay is if he's eventually just going to leave again," Fawn said quietly and it broke Fiyero's heart, but he told himself sternly not to feel guilty. Guilt was what had started all this in the first place, after all. He understood what Fawn meant and he'd try his hardest to make sure she believed he wasn't going anywhere now.

She continued. "But if you two get married, he wouldn't leave, right?"

"I'm not going to leave again, princess," Fiyero said, meeting her gaze. "I promise."

She nodded, a smile spreading across her face, and she and Xalo both looked expectantly at Elphaba.

The young witch laughed despite the tears still in her eyes. "I can't say no to that look," she teased. "And if you two are sure…" The twins nodded earnestly and Elphaba turned back to Fiyero and nodded, too. "Then yes, Yero, I'll marry you."

His grin was so wide it nearly split his face in two as he gingerly placed the ring on Elphaba's finger. She threw her arms around him, kissing him deeply; and the twins cheered, stomping their feet and drumming on the table with their knives and forks. Oscar, for his part, mainly looked dumbstruck, but there were tears in his eyes as well.

"Are you _sure_?" Elphaba asked Fiyero worriedly once she'd pulled away. "I mean… I know right now you're just happy to be back, but what if your guilt takes over again? Have you thought this through?"

"I have," he assured her. "Fae… I love you. I know that. And I told you – I won't pretend everything is going to be all peachy and perfect from now on, but I can promise that as long as you still love me, and I still love you, I'll fight to make this work and to be the husband you deserve. Someone you can be proud of."

"Yero my hero," she murmured, cradling his face between her hands and kissing him softly again. "I'll always be proud of you."

He grinned at her, the backs of his fingers grazing her abdomen, and she blushed a little. "Don't," she whispered. "No-one knows yet."

He blinked in amazement. "No-one? The twins? Oscar? Galinda?" he asked incredulously, careful to keep his voice low so the others wouldn't overhear.

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm not even sure yet," she explained quietly. "I want to take a test first and I want to wait a while before I start telling people. If I'm even pregnant at all, it's only a couple of weeks. I want to make sure… not get anyone's hopes up – including my own."

He nodded that he understood. "Let's go get a test tomorrow."

She chuckled softly. "Can't wait to find out, can you?"

"Is that even a question?" He kissed her again and then gently pressed her back into her chair. "Now eat the rest before it gets cold," he said, louder so everyone could hear, and Elphaba laughed.

* * *

Galinda, of course, was ecstatic about the news of Fiyero and Elphaba's engagement once she heard it the next day; and, given her hormones, she blubbered about it for at least half an hour before managing to calm herself down a little. Elphaba was tempted to dump her _other_ news on her best friend as well, just to see how she'd react; but she decided against it. For one, she didn't want to deal with another half hour of squeals and tears and for another, she still hadn't taken the test and she didn't want to get people's hopes up.

She and Fiyero did get the test that day and Elphaba took it that night. She laughed aloud at the anxious look on Fiyero's face and the way he paced up and down the room while they waited for the result, but she fell silent the moment the blue plus sign appeared and she could only stare at the stick.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered and Fiyero whooped, dropping down beside her and hugging her tightly. He planted a kiss on her lips and then bent down to plant one on her stomach as well.

"We're going to be parents," he said, grinning widely. "Fae, we're going to be parents!"

"I've been a parent for nine years, you know," she said drily, earning herself a scowl.

"Don't spoil it," he warned her. "We'll be parents _together_." Mild panic flashed across his face. "I'll need to read up on pregnancy. And babies. Oz, I know nothing about babies! Are you really sure we can do this?"

She raised a single eyebrow at him – something she did occasionally and that never failed to creep him out. "I _have_ done this before," she pointed out to him. "Alone, too, because I didn't know any of my friends yet and Oscar had no experience with babies, either; so although he did help, we mostly improvised."

He nodded, mildly reassured by that. "Right. Of course. You have experience – with _two_ babies, even. We'll be fine with one."

His eyes widened, suddenly; and Elphaba, knowing what he was thinking, said in amusement, "The odds of a woman giving birth to twins _twice_ aren't that big, you know. About one in three thousand, actually."

He looked at her helplessly and she smirked. "Although of course it's always possible. Wouldn't it be nice for us to have _another_ pair of twins?"

"As much as I love Fawn and Xalo," Fiyero said flatly, "I'm going to have to say no."

She cackled.

She soon stopped laughing, however, when she realised that the news of Fiyero's proposal caused Galinda's attention to shift from planning her own wedding to planning Elphaba's… and that there was no holding back the petite blonde PA.

"So, Elphie," she chatted as the two of them were sitting in Galinda's garden together, having tea. Cohvu and Galinda lived in a medium-sized house with the air of a mansion, tastefully decorated by the blonde and with a beautiful flower garden. Galinda, of course, had placed a garden set there for her to be able to have tea outside with her friends when the weather was nice – which, right now, it was. "I know you won't like a big fuss for your wedding…"

"Thank Oz you even recognise that fact," Elphaba muttered.

Galinda ignored her. "And honestly, I don't really want one, either," she confessed. "I know I always said I wanted my big, white wedding, but… well, this past half year or so kind of taught me what's really important, you know? I just want my friends and family there. The people I actually care about. So it's not going to be nearly as big as I always envisioned it."

Elphaba smiled a little. "I think that's a very wise decision, Glin. I'm proud of you."

Galinda beamed at her friend and took a sip of her tea. "You are? Well… what would you want _your_ wedding to be like?"

"Small," Elphaba said instantly. "Me and Fiyero – obviously. The twins, Oscar, you, Cohvu, Gazilon, and Nessa. I wouldn't mind a few more people – maybe some other acquaintances from Shiz or from my job, such as Boq, or Mayor Samms and Evanne…"

"Pfannee, Milla, Shenshen?" Galinda pressed and Elphaba looked at her oddly.

"No. Why would I want them at my wedding? They're _your_ friends, not mine…" She trailed off when she took in the expression on her friend's face and realised with dawning horror what Galinda was thinking. "Glin…"

"Pink goes good with green," she said, beaming. "We could add some green elements to the colour scheme. You helped me plan most of my wedding, so you can't be too horrified with all the plans, because you helped make them. It'd save you the hassle of planning your own wedding, which I _know_ you'd hate, and it'd sort of bring us full-circle, wouldn't it? Two best friends, getting married together…"

"A double wedding?" Elphaba asked, unable to keep herself from grimacing.

Galinda frowned at her. "What, you don't want to share your special day? I know that's not your problem, Elphie. Is it the pink?"

"Partly," Elphaba admitted. "And the people, and the fact that even though you'd be keeping it small, it would be small for _your_ standards, not mine. What's small to you is usually still pretty big to me. Besides, do _you_ want to share your special day?"

"Yes," the blonde said instantly. "I do if it's with my best friend!" She caressed her stomach. "Elphie, we're best friends and we're both getting married to wonderful men. How many more signs do you need? We're meant to do this together! It's written in the stars!"

Elphaba laughed, but she did promise her friend she'd consider her point. She could only be grateful she hadn't told her PA her other news yet. She was pretty sure that if Galinda knew they were both pregnant, too, she'd never hear the end of this pre-destination nonsense.

* * *

As it turned out, she was, indeed, pregnant. "About five weeks," her GP told her with a smile. "Congratulotions."

Fiyero squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. On their way back to the Palace, they debated whether or not they wanted to start telling people.

"I think I'd like to discuss the idea with the twins first," she mused. "You know – just ask them how they'd feel about it without giving anything away yet."

He agreed and when they got home, Elphaba wanted to go in search of her children instantly, but Fiyero stopped her and kissed her gently.

"What was that for?" she asked with a smile when he pulled away. He gave her a look and she chuckled. "Right. Stupid question." She leaned up to kiss him again. "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too." He placed his hands on her hips and she studied his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. "How's the guilt? And the doubts?"

He sighed. She knew him too well. "Still there," he admitted. "Both of them. Always, to some extent. But I'm trying not to let them take over."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm proud of you, you know," she murmured, planting a kiss on his shoulder. "For dealing with your fears, rather than running away from them."

"I learnt from the best," he said with a lopsided grin and she hugged him tightly.

"As long as you promise always to talk to me about it," she said against his shirt. "If it gets worse, I mean."

She felt him kiss the top of her head. "I will, hon. Promise."

"Get a room," someone said behind them. When they turned to glare, they found Xalo smirking at them and they stared at the little boy.

"Excuse me?" Elphaba demanded and he flushed at her tone.

"That's what Yacin always says when Emala gives Perrin a kiss," he said defensively. "He said his older brothers always say that to one another, too, when they kiss their girlfriends."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at her son. "It's not polite to say that, Xalo," she said sternly and he deflated.

"Yes, Mum."

Fiyero grinned. Not _that_ much had changed since his first day here. He was just happy Elphaba's glare wasn't aimed at _him_ this time.

"Where is your sister?" Elphaba asked and when Xalo pointed at the living room, she ushered him over there, too. "I want to talk to you two."

"Are we in trouble?" Xalo asked, grimacing.

Elphaba laughed. "No, my little monkey, you're not in trouble. Come on, let's go find Fawn." She glanced at Fiyero over her shoulder and he mouthed, "Good luck." She smiled in reply, glad that he understood that she wanted to do this alone.

Thankfully, neither Fawn nor Xalo seemed to have a problem with the idea of a little brother or sister. In fact, the two of them were even more excited about _that_ idea than they were about the idea of Fiyero and Elphaba getting married.

"I've always wanted a brother!" Xalo said, grinning.

Fawn scowled at him. "Yes, well, I've always wanted a sister," she sneered back at him. She crossed her arms and her brother had the decency to look sheepish.

"I don't mind having a sister," he protested weakly. "I'd just like a brother as well."

Fawn looked at her mother. "Would Fiyero want a baby, too?" she asked carefully and Elphaba gave her daughter a reassuring smile.

"He'd like it very much," she assured Fawn, who looked relieved at that.

"You know what would be awesome?" Xalo said, his face lighting up. "If you had a baby now, too, just like Auntie Galinda, and then one of the babies would be a boy and the other would be a girl. Then we'd have a brother _and_ a sister – sort of, anyway – and they'd kind of be twins, like us, and that'd just be really cool."

"We could help!" Fawn volunteered. "We want to help with Auntie Galinda's baby, too, so if you and Fiyero have another baby, Mum, we'd help you as well! I could tell the baby stories, and teach him to read; and Xalo could teach him to play games, and stuff like that…"

"Can't you and Fiyero go make a baby now?" Xalo asked pleadingly, making Elphaba laugh so hard tears sprung to her eyes.

"I guess you're in luck, my darlings," she wheezed when she eventually calmed down, still unable to stop grinning. "Because we already made one a couple of weeks ago."

Both kids sucked in their breath at the same time, eyes wide. "You're pregnant?" Fawn breathed.

"You and Fiyero are having a baby?!" Xalo asked excitedly and when Elphaba nodded, they both cheered and threw their arms around their mother, then around each other, then started dancing around the room.

Alerted by the noise, Fiyero poked his head around the doorway to check up on them and when he saw the twins, he smiled. "I take it they'd like the idea?"

"I told them it's more than just an idea," she said and he didn't seem surprised.

When Fawn and Xalo saw him, they ran at him and jumped him. Fiyero laughed as he caught them as best he could, hugging them and then putting them back down on their feet. "So what do you think?"

"Amazing!" Xalo shouted and Fawn said, her eyes glistening, "I can't wait to be a big sister!"

Fiyero grinned. "Good."

This all felt like it was going so fast, but at the same time, it just felt right. Being with Elphaba felt right, despite his fears and insecurities. He loved seeing the genuine joy on the twins' faces at the prospect of hem getting a half-brother or half-sister – at the prospect of him becoming their father, or at least the closest thing to a father they'd ever known.

He slipped his arms around Elphaba's waist from behind and murmured into her ear, "You do realise you'll need to tell everyone else now, before they all hear it from a very enthusiastic Fawn and Xalo?"

Elphaba grinned, leaning into him. "Don't you think their reactions to Fawn and Xalo yelling at them that they're going to have a sibling will be hilarious?"

"Definitely," Fiyero agreed. "Maybe not so good for Galinda and _her_ baby, though."

Elphaba giggled – something she rarely did, but that made him smile. It was such a light, happy sound and he hoped he'd get to hear it from her more often, now that the threat was over and they were more secure in their relationship. Now that she had good reason again to feel light and happy.

* * *

 **Because I figured this is something Fiyero would do.**

 **I know I promised you all a sequel, and you'll get one, because there is so much I'd still like to write about both weddings, the Colinda baby, the Fiyeraba baby, and Fiyero as a father to both the twins and his own baby; but right now, NaNoWriMo is about to start and I'm focusing all my attention on my original story.**

 **I actually haven't written any fanfiction in weeks now, which is something that never happened before, but I just really want to finish writing another book. That's why it might be a while before you get the sequel - or any fanfic from me - after TPaS is over.**

 **Sorry! I hope you'll stick with me nonetheless!**


	42. Happy

**One final time, thank you all so much for your reviews! I've really loved writing this story and seeing your reactions to it. I'm glad you all enjoyed it as well - and for those who have nominated me and/or this story (or others of mine, of course) in the Greg Awards, lots of virtual hugs and a huge big thank you!**

 **Make sure you all nominate authors and stories for the Gregs, because there are so many great ones on here!**

* * *

 **42\. Happy**

Elphaba and Fiyero asked the twins not to tell anyone about the baby yet, at which they sulked, but they promised they'd keep quiet. As soon as they'd run off to play, Elphaba had given Fiyero a significant look and gone off to find her best friend. Galinda was in her office and Elphaba lingered in the doorway until the PA spotted her.

"Elphie!" she greeted her enthusiastically. "Have you still thought about my proposition? For the wedding? Because I really think a double wedding would be just _wonderful_. Oh, also, Ambassador Gauchi called to confirm your appointment for next Monday and guess who called to arrange an appointment with you next month?" She beamed. "An advisor from President Sevens' office! He said the president was so impressed with you over your dinner way back that he wanted to meet with you again, you and Oscar both, to discuss some plans and ideas! Isn't that marvellous?"

"That's amazing, Glin," said Elphaba, smiling widely. It was, but somehow, she didn't feel as excited about this as she thought she would have a couple of months ago. Almost dying changed things, she thought wryly; and she couldn't help but feel now that regardless of how much she loved her job and how important it had always been to her, it was still just a job and it wasn't nearly as important as some other things. Like family. And friends. Cliché as that sounded.

Galinda smiled back and turned away from her laptop. "So why did you come to find me? Do you need anything?"

"Not really," said Elphaba, taking a seat on Galinda's couch and propping her feet up on the blonde's coffee table. Galinda scowled, but didn't say anything, and the green woman grinned at her. "I just had some news I thought I'd come share with you. Just promise not to be too loud about it, okay?"

Galinda frowned worriedly. "Is this good news or bad news?"

"That depends," said Elphaba seriously and Galinda's frown deepened.

"On what?"

The deputy mayor's grin widened. "On whether you think one niece and one nephew are quite enough, or you'd like another addition."

Galinda stared at her friend, uncomprehending, but then realisation slowly dawned on her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked, holding her breath. "Elphie?"

"Yes?" Elphaba asked innocently and Galinda threw a pencil at her.

"Elphaba Thropp, spit it out already!" she cried. "Are you _pregnant_? _Really_?"

"Yes," Elphaba said, laughing now. "I'm about five weeks along."

As she had predicted, Galinda squealed loudly, launched herself off her chair, and hugged Elphaba as tightly as she possibly could without crushing her own stomach. "Elphie! You're having another baby! And I'm having a baby, too! We'll both have babies and they'll be best friends! Oh my _Oz_ , Elphie! What did Fiyero say?"

"Fiyero still seems to be having trouble getting off cloud nine," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes fondly, and Galinda giggled.

"As he should! And the twins? Did you tell them yet?"

The dark-haired witch nodded. "They're right there on cloud nine with Fiyero."

"Who else knows?" Galinda demanded and Elphaba raised her eyebrows.

"You're my best friend, my PA, and the godmother of my children," she pointed out. "I mean, yes, the father and the siblings of this unborn baby obviously get to hear about it first, but who else would I tell before you, Glin?"

More squeals. More hugs. Lots of tears – because Galinda was still quite hormonal.

"Now we can have weird cravings together!" she squealed, which made Elphaba chuckle. "I'm serious! Elphie, don't you _really_ feel like getting some hamburgers with whipped cream to celebrate?"

Elphaba just made a face at her friend.

She went to Oscar next, who teared up as well, obviously thrilled by the prospect of having another grandchild; and then Cohvu, who hugged her tightly and actually lifted her off her feet to spin her around like Fiyero had done. She protested, complaining loudly about why men felt the need to do that to women when they had good news, but Cohvu just grinned at her and told her how excited he was for her and Fiyero.

Elphaba realised she was living a fairy-tale and she firmly pushed away the doubts that came with that realisation. Having Fiyero back, being pregnant, getting married – and that on top of having her dream job, two wonderful children, an amazing best friend, and a better father than she could have hoped for… It felt a little like it was too good to be true, but she didn't allow herself to go there. Instead, she was just going to enjoy it.

When she told Fiyero of that resolve, he drew her closer and pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm proud of you, Fae," he murmured.

She smirked wryly at him. "Just… please don't leave me standing at the altar."

"I think it's usually the bride running away with a dramatic swirling of skirts and tossing of the bouquet," he joked, but when he saw the genuine anxiety in her eyes, despite her trying to hide it, he kissed her again. "Fae, I know I messed up, but I am _never_ going to let you go again. _Ever_. Not you, not the twins, and not this baby." He placed a hand over her abdomen. "I wouldn't for the world want to run away from the love of my life on the best day of my life. Got it?"

"Got it," she whispered and he smiled, kissing her gently again.

* * *

Aside from the twins, Galinda, Cohvu, and Oscar, Elphaba didn't tell anyone about her pregnancy yet, wanting to wait until her second trimester instead. Luckily, she didn't have many pregnancy symptoms; morning sickness hit her every now and then (at any given time of day, unlike what the name would suggest), she felt dizzy occasionally and she experienced some changes in her body, mainly her breasts. Those symptoms were fairly easy to hide, however, and she was sure no-one suspected a thing. She continued doing what she did, enjoying her work and spending time with her friends and family.

As for the wedding, in the end, Galinda had decided to compromise. She and Elphaba would have separate wedding ceremonies – hers pink, overdone, and dramatic, albeit not as big as she'd always wanted; and Elphaba's smaller, simple, and intimate. That way, the blonde explained, they'd both have their special moment _and_ they could be each other's maid of honour, which was a very important plus. After the ceremonies, however, they'd have a shared reception for all their guests.

Elphaba, realising her friend had been right about the fact that it would save her the hassle of planning a lot of things, agreed under two conditions: no more than fifty people at the reception, and no pink.

"A hundred people at the reception, and a little pink," Galinda bargained.

"Seventy-five," Elphaba said firmly, "and the only pink allowed will be on you and your bridal party, since I'm pretty sure you'll be wearing something pink and so will your bridesmaids, and I'd hate to ban you all from our reception."

"You're too kind," Galinda deadpanned and Elphaba narrowed her eyes. The blonde just blinked innocently. "What? You rubbed off on me, Elphie."

Elphaba grumbled something under her breath, but didn't argue.

It saved her and Fiyero a lot of worrying about many things, including the guest list. Most of the people they'd wanted to invite had already been invited by Galinda months ago, when Cohvu had first proposed – Gazilon, Boq, and Nessa among them – so those people only got an extra invite informing them the wedding would now be a double one. The only extra people Elphaba invited were Mayor Samms and Evanne, as well as some other business associates she was relatively close with.

Nessa, naturally, was absolutely thrilled for her sister. "You're getting _married_!" she'd kept exclaiming when Elphaba had first told her. The green woman hadn't told her sister about the baby yet; she wanted to do that in person, so she'd tell Nessa at some point before the wedding, since the girl would come to stay at the Palace for a couple of weeks again in September. Nessa had hesitantly asked about Frex, but Elphaba had told her firmly that she was not going to invite the Big, Bad Bully to her wedding and that if he decided to show up, he wouldn't be allowed in. Nessa was mildly disappointed, wanting to share her sister's happiness with her father, but she understood and respected Elphaba's wishes.

"You can tell him, though, if you want," Elphaba had said. "You don't have to keep it secret from him or anything. I just don't want him to be there."

The conversation, however, had prompted her to think about something else; and one evening, when she and Fiyero were cooking together, she brought it up. "Yero, have you considered inviting your parents to the wedding?" she asked casually.

Apparently, the question startled him, because his hand slipped and he cut himself again, swearing softly.

Elphaba chuckled. "Déjà vu. Sorry. Maybe I should have asked when you weren't holding a knife." Like last time, she helped him rinse the cut and then healed it, smiling at him. "There. All done."

He didn't smile back, however. "Were you serious?"

She shrugged. "Well, just because I don't want to be in touch with Frex anymore, doesn't mean you should stay out of touch with your parents forever. You've changed your ways, haven't you? They're going to be grandparents. Just… think about it," she advised him. "You don't have to suddenly start seeing them every week or something, but maybe this is a good opportunity for you to talk about what happened and leave the past behind you."

He did think about it, she could tell; and after a few days, he came back into their room and announced he'd called his parents.

"You have?" Elphaba sat up straight, looking at him expectantly. "How did it go?"

He exhaled, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm not sure," he said. "It was awkward. Mum picked up, and she didn't seem to believe it was me at first. Then she put me on speaker and called Dad in, so I had to explain to the two of them what I've been up to for the past couple of years and what happened, that I fell in love and am going to get married, and that I'm going to be a father… They were pretty quiet after that." He smiled slightly. "Luckas came in at that point, though, and when he heard, he started cheering, calling himself 'Uncle Luckas' every other sentence, and pretty much demanding to be invited to the wedding."

Elphaba laughed. "What did you say?"

"I said he was, they all were, and I told them I wanted to talk to them about what happened, too. They agreed." He looked at her and she smiled encouragingly.

"It might be nice, to have them back in your life," she said. "At the very least Luckas – I know how much you miss him."

He nodded. "It might be, yeah." He took her hand. "Thanks for suggesting that. I hadn't even thought of it."

"No problem." She cuddled up against him. "Is there anyone else you want to invite?"

He shook his head. "No-one I'm still in touch with or would like to be in touch with again," he said. "I have a new life now." He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

With regard to the wedding, Cohvu and Fiyero had come to an agreement as well – to stay out of the wedding preparations as much as they could. Instead, they both spent a lot of time with the twins, neither of them willing to admit to the other – or anyone else, for that matter – that they considered it a bit of practice for once their own babies would be born.

It was heart-breaking, yet heart-warming, Elphaba thought, to watch Fawn and Xalo – but especially Fawn – slowly regain her trust in Fiyero and the fact that he wouldn't be leaving them again. Both twins very much liked the attention and they spent many an afternoon running through the garden with their surrogate-father and their uncle, being chased around, getting fighting lessons, and playing games. They were learning what having a father was like and it was obvious they both loved it.

Elphaba's favourite moment was when she was reading in the living room, Fiyero playing with the kids; and when Fawn suddenly turned to Fiyero and said seriously, "Fiyero, Xalo and I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away," he prompted.

Xalo cocked his head a little to the side and said, "We were wondering if it would be okay for us to call you 'Dad'."

"You know," Fawn added, "not right away, but once you and Mum are married, and stuff. If you don't mind."

Elphaba could feel tears coming to her own eyes at that (she was pretty sure they would have even if she hadn't been pregnant) and she could tell Fiyero had to hold back tears of his own. He glanced up and they exchanged a look before he turned back to the twins and said hoarsely, but very gravely, "I would be honoured."

Fawn beamed at him and Xalo grinned. "Cool." Then they went on playing as if nothing had happened.

That evening, when Fawn and Xalo were in bed and Elphaba and Fiyero were snuggling together in front of the TV, he said quietly, "That was really sweet. The twins, I mean. This afternoon."

"It was," Elphaba agreed, smiling. "I told you – they love you."

He let out a short laugh. "I love them, too." He was silent for a moment, then said, "It's strange, huh, how things can go? If you'd told me five months ago that I'd end up falling in love with the woman I was supposed to protect, that's I'd do anything for her children, and that we'd have a baby together and get married… I probably would have scoffed. Or laughed."

The young witch in his arms grinned. "I never thought I'd be willing to marry the guy who attacked my son, invaded my privacy, and called me a vegetable."

He coloured, which made her cackle, and then she leaned up to kiss him. "Don't worry," she murmured against his lips. "I've forgiven you. Besides, I bet you never thought you'd marry a vegetable, either."

He scowled. "You're not a vegetable. I was just stupid."

"You were," she agreed, still grinning. "You've come a long way." She sobered and thought about that. "So have I, I guess."

"We all have." He ran his fingers through her hair absently. "Only three more weeks and then you'll be mine, officially and legally."

"I can't wait," she said.

"Really?"

Smiling a little sadly, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then rested her forehead against his, looking into his eyes. "Really," she assured him and after carefully searching her eyes and finding she meant it, he smiled, too.

"I love you."

"Mmh." She kissed him again, slower this time. "I love you, too, Yero my hero."

It felt like she was on top of the world, and even though she knew that couldn't last, she was happy to take the moment and enjoy it for as long as it did last. She had everything she'd ever dreamt of having and more; and after all they'd already been through, she knew they could conquer anything else life threw at them, too. Together. For someone who didn't believe in fairy-tales, she thought as she put her head on the shoulder of the man she loved and caressed the stomach that would soon start to grow, it seemed suspiciously like she was getting her happily ever after.

 **\- THE END -**

* * *

 **There we go, then. *Terminator voice* I'll be back... but it might take a while. (For my doing, anyway.)**

 **Until next time!**


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